Sliding Sideways
by KannaKyomu
Summary: "If they clash, mine will purify yours." She did look at him then, hoping he would understand what she was trying to get across. She had no such luck, he lashed out- his chakra free hand grasping her upper arm and yanking her into his personal space. "Show me." It came out so guttural, and she wondered at the human who was a demon before her. Drabble fic.
1. Orange Laminate

Hello Everyone, I know it's been a long, long time and I'm much more of an avid reader than a writer but I wanted to give it a shot. This story will be told in drabbles which are short little blurb-like chapters as I'm sure y'all know. I'll try to be consistent with updating every week. I hope you enjoy!

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Kagome turned the small book over in her hands, the bright orange cover almost offensive in its laminated neon. A scoff turned her lips down in wry amusement,

" _You need more adventure in your life Kagome. You can't just whittle away in your bedroom studying all the time." Ayame pushed the little book further into her hands, perhaps sensing Kagome's apprehension. "Just give it a try- it's a really good story! Just the first book and if you don't like it you don't have to read any more; but I have the whole series if you do!"_

So maybe she had been spending a bit too much time with her studies since her return from the Sengoku period. It was a nice distraction, and she kind of needed one right now.

Later, when her feelings are less sharp and biting; she would take out the memories, and turn them over like precious things. Examine them, and remember them with all the fondness and joy they deserved.

Besides, she really did need to catch up. If she had any hoping of making a life for herself in her own time she needed an education. It wasn't like she had any other option. A choice born from necessity, something she was intimately familiar with.

"Naruto..." She read the cover aloud. The thought of the ramen themed name brought a small smile to her face. She placed the book down on her desk and stretched her arms into the air until her back popped. Maybe a break would be nice, and the characters on the cover did look interesting.  
"Adventure indeed!" she huffed to herself. If only Ayame knew the half of it.


	2. Fake Offense

Kagome slid into the booth with her high school friends, the plastic tugged on her legs where her uniform skirt didn't cover and gave her the sensation of an unpleasant stickiness.

"So!" Ayame began with a cheerful waggle of her eyebrows. Kagome and Yuka laughed at her expression. Eri snorted into her milkshake. "Who's your favorite character so far? Mine's Sasuke!" Her eyes sparkled with her admission.

"Uhg gross Ayame, he so broody" Yuka added her two cents. Ayame gasped in fake offense "But that's what makes him so awesome! I like the dark and masculine type."

"More like a whiny little B-"

"Eri!" Yuka interrupted "Language!" Eri snorted again eyes alight with amusement at her friend's expense. "She's not wrong though." Kagome added. "His ego is a bit over the top in my opinion; I think it's really going to cause him a lot of problems during the action scenes in the future."

Ayame flapped her hands in a dismissive gesture. "Who cares about all that I just think he's hot!" She turned to Eri "Who's your favorite character then if not Sasuke?" Eri tapped a French fry to her lips in mock concentration.


	3. Dog Clan

"Orochimaru" Eri said flatly. The other two girls gave her incredulous looks. Eri shrugged, "The guy created an entire hidden village single handedly, he's smart and cunning- and I like snakes." Yuka giggled at this "Eri your so weeeeird" She drug the word out as if to add more emphasis. "I like Naruto the best! He's so positive and determined!" Kagome could almost see little hearts rising above her popping in the air with her admission.

"No surprise there," Ayame said with no small amount of fondness. "What about you Kagome?" Eri and Yuka turned to look at her too "I'm not sure." She admitted to her friends.

"Aw, C'mon Kagome, you have to at least pick one!" Yuka's ever cheerful demeanor asserted itself again. Kagome took a draw on her strawberry flavored milkshake to give herself a moment to really think about it. Did she have a favorite?

Kiba reminded her so much of her lost friend, with his aggressive nature and dog-themed clan. Kakashi gave her the same reminders in a different sense. He also had the whole dog thing going, and the white hair… she did like these characters but sometimes the similarities made her chest ache.


	4. Damsel

Kagome hummed to break the moment of silence in her thinking. "Maybe..." She trailed off.

Rock Lee? She loved the idea of a genius of hard work. She could really get behind that but at the same time his personally was so… loud. Hinata was pretty adorable and even though she grew to be a force all her own in the second half Kagome just couldn't get away from her hesitancy. In the world of Naruto hesitancy would get you killed. She knew this as a real life fact better than anyone sitting at this table with her. Probably better than anyone in the whole ice cream parlor right then.

Shikamaru also weighed heavily in for her, powerful jutsu was cool and all but it didn't mean much without a plan. Her thoughts turned to Temari then on that vein of thought. Temari reminded her lot of Sango. The woman was no damsel in distress and certainly didn't need anyone to save the day for her. But despite all these thoughts…

"Kakashi" She said with an air on finality.


	5. Something Original

Ayame looked a little disappointed. "Everyone's favorite is Kakashi, Kagome. Pick someone original." Kagome's brows drew together and she popped a French fry in her mouth chewing thoughtfully.

"Nah."

Eri laughed at that and Yuka chimed in at her defense, "She can like whoever she wants to Ayame, at least Kakashi is better than Sasuke!"

"Hey!" was Ayame's Indigent response. "Sasuke is the epitome of manliness!" She huffed looking put out.

"He betrays team seven though. He's so wrapped up in killing his brother and can't even pull his head out of his a-"

"Eri!" Yuka cried again interrupting her friend's potty mouth. Kagome chuckled; the things that came out of Inuyasha's mouth would put Eri to shame. She took a silent moment to wonder what Yuka face would look like if she ever met the abrasive Hanyou.

She brushed the thought aside as soon as she felt the tendrils of a darker mood attempting to worm their way into her mind. 'Don't think about it.' She mentally shook herself.


	6. Bad Guys

"Orochimaru did the same thing" Ayame reminds Eri with an air of haughtiness.

"They aren't anywhere near the same person. Orochimaru is a genius." Eri sniffed.

"He's a bad guy!" Ayame countered voice pitched just a tad too high.

"The story isn't that black and white Ayame." Yuka interjected gently, trying to defuse what had the potential to become an argument. Kagome silently agreed with her friend. It was one of the things that had grasped her attention about these mangas so quickly. Everyone had a reason; usually something tragic that threw them over the edge of morality. It reminded her keenly of the 'bad guys' of her own thoroughly messed up story.

It was with these thoughts that she settled into the chair at her desk in her bedroom later that night. She shook her head as if the clear the fog in her brain. First she would get some studying done, and then she would crack open her newest borrowed issue of Naruto.


	7. 11:46pm

Kagome groaned, overly complicated trig numbers floating about in the air around her head. She rolled her shoulders and leaned back in her chair. Her little desk lamp was the only light in the room this late at night and she felt the eye strain creeping into the forefront of her head. After a moment's hesitation she shuffled her study papers into some semblance of order and slid her mathematics book shut with a snap.

"Right then," murmuring to herself, eyes slanting over to the clock on the far side of her desk.

11:46pm.

"Tomorrow is Sunday" She justifies even as she pulls the manga out and moves to settle on top of her comforter, bringing her little desk lamp over to sit on her end table. The cord reached but just barely. As warm light tossed over her lap she cracks the first pages open with a contented sigh.


	8. Children

An hour later found Kagome with silent tears rolling down her cheeks to pitter on the pages that had just revealed the plot behind the Uchiha Massacre. Kagome quickly used the edge of her pajama shirt to dab the spots away. Ayame would kill her if she damaged these books.

Fury welled within her. Exacerbated by the tears she couldn't stop. It was unfair. The whole situation was so unfair. He was just a child when his hand was forced. To make a decision like that…

Memories flashed behind water logged eye lids, dragging Kagome from the pages on her lap and into her own mind. Blood, everywhere- broken bodies lying across the ground- a village burning, burning, _burning,_ the horrid stench of decay and charred flesh- too late- too late to stop it and all these poor people, children, _babies_ were _deaddeaddead-_


	9. Trigger

' _Ohno Oh kami nonono'_

Her side pulsed then. Beneath the skin of her hip a light arose and she drew in a ragged breath even as the light grew brighter- hotter, colder, sharper, softer. The sensation of the power that dwelled within her that she could never give a name, the sensation she hadn't felt in over a year- not since her return to her rightful time.

Her energy and the Shikon in tandem.

Even as the light pulled her from the trigger that ignited the memories she kept burred deep, the powerful emotion that always evoked her Ki swelled the light higher and brighter until the moment that she was suddenly floating.

Wait, was she floating?


	10. Sliding Sideways

Something in her mind slid sideways then, it was the weirdest sensation she'd ever felt but somehow not felt at all and everything was just sliding _sideways_.

The laminated glossy cover of the manga slid over her finger tips anchoring her for a brief moment before suddenly it was gone.

Her bed beneath her was gone, and her room around her, and her cute little pink desk lamp that glowed a soft orange light that her mother had bought after she'd found out that Kagome had been staying up late trying to study was slowly starting to fade-

Without any conscious reason Kagome's hand snatched out and grasped her favorite lamp by its adjustable neck because Kami she couldn't leave without it and she hoped the cord would reach where ever it was she was going-


	11. Grass

Falling more like, sinking into nothingness beneath her as if it was merely a trip through the well.

But there was no well.

The thrum of her Ki and the Shikon's song of power echoed around her; crashing like waves upon the shore of the non-reality of the space between times. But this was different, this didn't feel quite like that- Kagome tried to _breath_ and everything was just happening _so fast._

Softly, after what felt like an eternity of falling, she was settled into what she realized was _grass-_

Wearing nothing but her green pajama shorts and a matching tank top clutching desperately at her favorite pink lamp surrounded on all sides by _trees_ and oh Kami-sama _clean air_ -

The electrical cord fell around her with a muted whump.

"Shit."


	12. Wet Lines

Kagome sat splayed in the grass, it was damp and cold. Fog rolled about the ground in heavy blankets, sweeping along like it was old lovers with the earth.

She groaned, scrubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes and took a deep, calming breath.

"Okay girl," she pepped quietly. "This isn't the first time you've been randomly dropped off in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night with no supplies and inappropriate clothing." She reminded herself carefully. "We can do this, if this is Inuyasha's forest lets locate the Goshinboku, or the village."

She pulled herself up from the ground her knees popping in protest. She clutched to her little pink lamp, shivers tracked goose bumps down her arms and legs. One more deep breath and Kagome picked a direction, east she hoped. The lamp cord trailed a wet line in the grass behind her.


	13. A Lack of Dry Wells

The wet grass prickled along her bare feet, and the fog swirled about her as she walked, quietly as she could. It had been close to one in the morning when she made her little "trip" and if this jump was anything like the plethora of jumps she'd made to the past before; the time should be around the same.

But this was nothing like any of her other sojourns into the Sengoku period, as she walked; she quietly ticked off differences from her fingers, cradling her lamp in the crook of her arms like a baby.

"No well," she started with the obvious; never had she traveled without the use of her trusty wooden dry well.

She swerved around a large murky pond, trying to keep her feet from getting too muddy by picking her way across a fallen log and some flat grimy stones. "The jump itself was too different. It didn't feel right. The colors were all wrong…" there was a sinking sensation in her chest when she acknowledged this out loud.


	14. Hiking Apparel

"Okay let's just focus on something else." She'd figure out where and when she was as soon as she found a village, or some people.

"Okay, okay." she pepped again trying to keep a level head about the whole thing, huffing under her breath. She tugged at the pajama shorts when they started riding up to high, not exactly prime hiking apparel. Her lack of shoes was going to be an issue with sharp fallen branches and chipped stones, for this reason she set a slower pace than she would of normally liked, attempting to carefully pick her way across the night darkened ground. It wouldn't do to have bloody feet in the middle of nowhere.


	15. Bog

She was quickly becoming tired, she'd been walking for what felt like hours, and although it appeared the sun wasn't quite ready to make an appearance yet, it must have been very late… or early. The fog still lazed its way across the earth, but Kagome was grateful for the slight chill that offset her heated skin.

She came across an opportune looking clearing just beyond yet another swampy expanse of water.

 _'_ _Was Inuyasha's forest ever this wet and boggy?'_


	16. Jinx

She settled herself under the boughs and a damp tree. Carefully setting her lamp beside her, she stretched her hands across her legs to touch her toes. Her back popped delightfully and she let out a sigh of relief.

"I have no shoes, no bedding, no food or water, no weapon to defend myself with, and no way to light a fire." Well, this did suck pretty badly but it certainly wasn't the worst case scenario. At least she wasn't being chased by some demon that wanted to eat her. That probably would have sucked more.

She turned gently to wrap her knuckles on the tree behind her. "Don't jinx yourself Kagome."

As if these words were the spark that dropped into the either of the universe to call upon trouble, Kagome heard the sharp sound of metal against metal in the distance.


	17. Poor Helpless Villagers

She froze, it couldn't have been too far off she was only human and her hearing wasn't as keen as her youkai companions.

She snatched up her pink lamp and bolted to the far side of her little clearing, farther into the fog and farther away from the sounds of battle.

"I have no weapons!" She hissed to herself, warring with her need to help ' _what if someone is in danger? What if its bandits or demons- the villagers are helpless!'_

"Okay, think, what do I have, what can I use? She searched the ground for a likely looking branch or sharp rock. Her breath started to come in slightly panicked little huffs when the clashing of metal crept closer; she could hear the cadence of talking, deep masculine voices speaking with cold inflection.


	18. Falter

Kagome faltered for a moment and almost fell on her ass when something whistled through the air to thunk into a branch not too far from her hiding place. She immediately hunkered down, curling herself around her pink lamp trying to meld as closely as she could with the shadow and bark of the tree at her side.

Three figures flickered into the clearing, not a single sound to announce their arrival.

 _'_ _Demons'_ her thoughts immediately provided for her. Humans couldn't move like that. The figures wore grey body armor, and skin tight black suits underneath. Each sported white porcelain looking masks with simple waves or splashes of a single color. They looked exhausted, with torn sleeves and legs; blood was liberally smeared across all three. One of them held an arm at an awkward angle, the shoulder looking a little too loose to be right. Another had a deep gouge down the back that pulsed blood, clothing shredded to bits.

Despite their haggard appearance, Kagome firmly understood- these men were dangerous.


	19. Bitter Cold

_'_ _Their clothing looks almost modern in its make'_ the back of her mind provided. _'I've never seen anyone in Sengoku wear armored vests…this is weird something isn't right here.'_

All three of them trained their attention on the trees across the clearing, over on Kagome's left. At least- that's what it looked like; it was hard to tell with the masks. Their grips on their respective weapons tightened and she followed their line of sight to the copes of foliage to her left.

Thick heavy blankets of fog rolled out, bitterly cold and almost suffocating in its intensity. Kagome saw the figures flicker away again, so quickly her eyes couldn't follow- just before the fog could touch down where they had been standing.

It only took another couple of seconds before she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face.

And then came the demonic ki.


	20. Holding Candles

_'_ _No… not Ki- something else…'_ the energy was tainted red and black with malice, she could feel the bloodlust in it, wrapping around her, attempting to bring her down with sheer force of will.

Kagome would not be swayed. She'd felt the intent behind much more powerful beings than this. Plus, she had the lovely little cheat of having an aura that could purify the brunt of the dark energy when it got too close.

 _'_ _This demon couldn't hold a candle to Sesshoumaru'_ then again not many demons could regardless.

Rough masculine laughter filled the fog, low and deep in it intensity.

"Hunter-nin" Said the same voice.


	21. White Bandages

Kagome reeled. _'Hunter-nin? As in- ninja? Excuse me?!'_

An explosion rocked the area, burning hot and bight and evaporating a large portion of fog. Kagome couldn't help the squeak as she fell from her crouch to land flat on her ass in the mud with a splat. She looked up just in time to see four pairs of eyes trained at her, or at least she though the masked guys were looking at her. _'That's kind of annoying actually, but maybe that's the point.'_

The demon bared sharp pointed teeth at her in a bloodied snarl. The viscous liquid ran in rivulets from his hairline soaking into white bandages that seemed to of been haphazardly torn from his mouth and nose.

Arms that were trembling sported fresh burns and held a massive sword forward that barred a katana from coming into striking distance. The other two hunter-nin looked like they were about to flank him.


	22. Demon

The lull was suddenly over when the three hunter-nin started frantically moving their hands in what appears to be some kind of sign language to each other. They jumped back, regrouping and placing Kagome and the demon across from themselves.

But none of this interested Kagome. All she could do was stare at what was very obviously a Kiri headband, tired haphazardly and crooked around the demon's forehead. The single slash played deep across its surface. She knew this demon- this man…

 _'_ _Oh Kami-sama'_

"Momochi Zabuza…" She breathed lowly

 _'_ _I'm in a manga.'_


	23. Hand, Foot, and Mouth

His eyes narrowed dangerously at her, his grip on what she recognized as his sword 'Kubikiribocho' tightened, the leather wrapped hilt groaned in protest. She felt a hysterical giggle bubbling up but she clamped down the urge fiercely.

 _'Foot in mouth Kagome!'_ The hunter-nin flash-stepped forward, two towards the Demon of the Mist and one-


	24. Waiver

-right in front of her. The man's hand shot out, yanking her from her unceremonious position in the mud by her hair and swung her into place against his chest. A kunai dug into the sensitive flesh of her collar bone, it stung and she could feel the small trail of blood slowly creep its way down her pajama top. His folded arm pressed her firmly into him, into the edge of his knife.

Kagome leaned farther into the man's personal space, trying to add nonexistent distance between her neck and the very dangerous weapon.

 _'I can't die here,'_ her resolve did not waiver even in the face of her fear.


	25. Viper

Eye's wide Kagome watched as Zabuza struck quick as a viper and cleanly sliced the head off of one of the hunters who fell to far out of formation with the other, the white mask went flying into a tree shattering on impact, an arc of blood flying from the edge of the massive sword.

It splattered across the ground at her feet and its pungent coppery tang filled the air, wafting into her face. Even after so many battles and so much gore she still couldn't help it. Kagome gagged.

 _'I can't die here!'_ Kagome felt herself unconsciously begin to attempt to slide out from behind the hunter-nin's kunai arm. _'His other arm is broken'_ she remembered _'shoulder possibly dislocated- maybe if he's just distracted enough-'_


	26. Fury is a Little Pink Lamp

Kagome, quicker than she thought she was capable of wrenched free of the one-armed man's grip and earned herself a very painful, deep gouge across her collar bone and down her chest. Her miko ki flared to the surface in her panic and pain, a brilliant light that fell from her skin illuminating the hunter beside her. It flowed into her fingers restlessly searching for the arrows she did not hold-

And right into her trusty little lamp companion, the bulb flared to life in a bright pink color to match her energy and Kagome swung it hard and fast without conscious thought. The bulb shattered outward before it even made impact, too full of a power it was not meant to hold. The metal warped and bent around the man's face knocking his mask to the ground and snapping his head to the side, but he did not stagger.


	27. Hysterical Blindness

It's too bad he wasn't really a demon. He'd be tinny little dust particles right now. She did notice however much to her mixed dismay and satisfaction that there was smoking scorch marks spreading across the man's face. The skin bubbled and popped just underneath his now visible blue eye, adding the smell of burning flesh to the battle.

 _'It's not a battle till someone's face is on fire'_ she thought a little hysterically.


	28. Something New

There was only a half second delay after her impromptu weapon made impact before the man brought his one good arm up to clutch desperately at his face, screaming hoarsely a sound Kagome wished she wasn't familiar with, wished she could of gone her whole life never hearing again. Agony. Agony she'd caused.

The ninja fell to his knees, sinking into the blood and grime beneath them. He made a choked gargling sound and fell the rest of the way to the ground. He remained still.

"That's new." She whispered, partly relived, partly horrified.

She back peddled quickly away from the… body. Further into the tree cover a little deeper into the trees, a little farther from the clearing until her back connected solidly against bark.


	29. Circumference

_'I need to get out of here'_ her mind urged her to run, to flee this place without looking back. She made a single step towards outer edge of the tree's circumference, but stopped immediately when she realized how quiet and still it was.

Slowly, she brought her eyes to meet the dark eyes of the monster before her. Blood continued to drip from his hair line, off the tips of the closest spikes of hair. His previously white bandages were black with it.


	30. It looks Like Rain

Zabuza's arm hung from the hilt of his sword, slightly leaning on it in some kind of mock casual body language. The swords edge slanted down into the body of the last hunter-nin where it impaled the now lifeless body to the ground.

When she met his unreadable eyes, his face split into a humorless grin, showing far too many teeth to be benign. He chuckled, a dark baritone.

"You are not shinobi." He said this like you might say, 'it looks like rain.'

"No." her voice was quiet, but she was thankful it was steady and did not crack. His eyes slanted casually to the still form of the man with one good arm and a wrecked, melted mess of half a face. Smoke still rose from the scorched skin, the burns still creeping slowly across his flesh.

She flinched.


	31. Waiting Game

And then he was just right there, arms relaxed at his sides leaning into her personal space like he might sniff her or something. He smelled like fresh blood and hot steel. She didn't realize how tall he was before, how tightly coiled his muscles are. She has no reason to doubt now.

"You're useless" He grunts. Kagome spine snaps back ramrod straight pushing herself hard into the tree behind her. The bark bit uncomfortably into her exposed skin. Zabuza just leaned in further as if sensing her discomfort. He probably could.

The bastard.

She could feel his breath puffing out across her cheek, and she waited. Waited for death, for him to say something, for her to say something, for Inuyasha to come, she waited, and _waited._


	32. No Ally

"You don't have to be." He said after a time.

 _'What.'_ Her mind skittered to a halt and for the second time her eyes rose to meet his darker ones. His head was slightly cocked to the side with an odd considering look on his face. His lips quirked a bit in what she would of interpreted as genuine humor on anyone elses face. On his it just looked like he'd finally managed to pick out that stubborn piece of popcorn from between his teeth.

"Yes, you'll make a fine tool."

His arm darted forward to curl around her side, his hand laid flat on the small of her back, his arm tensed for a moment, muscles coiled tightly. He gave her another considering look.

"Do not attempt to melt me." He grunted, and that was all the warning she got before he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of rice. She squeaked and the wound across her breast screamed; but she did not attempt to other wise protest.

She didn't have a death wish after all… and with no allies, no friends, no well to return to her world with; she didn't really have much of a choice in traveling companions at the moment. She'd find a way… but right now, Kagome just needed to survive this world.


	33. Body Heat

His shoulder dug into her ribs mercilessly. It wasn't the most uncomfortable situation she'd ever been in, but she'd take a piggy back ride over this any day of the week. Too bad he had a massive sword strapped to his back instead. It was a conscious effort on Kagome's part to keep her forearms from staying to close to its edge.

This however, wasn't her main source of discontent. No, that title belonged solely to the flat of Zabuza's hand which held her firmly in place by her upper thigh, just below the seam of her pajama shorts. She was hyper aware of it, and although it never strayed, never so much as twitched, it was making her extremely uncomfortable.

Zabuza's hand was rough, and lacked the claw tipped fingers that would prick at her skin when this far inside another person's personal space in the past. The heat of him was scorching through the thin fabric of her tank top, and he wasn't even sweating. How could someone produce this much body heat?


	34. Flushed

The wound on her chest ached and pulled, but at least it was clotting and no longer freely bled into what was left of her top. Kagome lamented the lack of somewhere to bathe keenly.

"Zabuza-san," She tried for his attention. He grunted.

"I can walk on my own, Zabuza-san" His stride continued seamlessly without jostling her or the sword at his back. He was surprisingly graceful for such a massive man.

"You are not shinobi." He stated simply as if that was answer enough.

"But-"she couldn't help the part of her that always protested. He made a face, as if frustrated that he had to explain himself. She imagined he didn't usually talk much.

"We must get to the Kiri boarder before dawn. There is a boat departing for Yugakure north of here." He turned to catch her eyes then, "Your feet are bare." He added.

Kagome felt her face flush red and she looked back down hoping her bangs would cover most of her embarrassment. And so it was that Zabuza's palm remained flat against her thigh, his shoulder continued to bruise into her ribs and her flushed faced only added to her embarrassment.


	35. Coast

They arrived at the northern sea of Kiri just as the first rays of the sun brushed the water. Zabuza set her down on the massive dock that spanned at least a mile along the coast, with many offshoots that splayed into the water to receive incoming ships. There were people everywhere, milling about their business, even this early. She watched as crews worked together to move cargo on and off different boats, she mood was somehow somber here.

Kagome was exhausted, her entire body hurt, and she shivered at the removal of Zabuza's body heat. She hadn't realized how cold it was until now. She didn't complain though, Kagome knew better.


	36. Of Wars, and Names

"I heard the war is ending soon." A rough looking man said to another as they passed. The other man's face twisted into a scowl. "I'll believe when I see it." He said. Kagome wished she could hear more, but they were gone quickly, twisting through other rough looking people towards an incoming boat ready to dock.

"Girl." Zabuza's voice cut through her attention of trying to hear snippets of conversation around her. She realized he had gotten several paces ahead; she jogged to catch up, and they boarded a decent sized ship with large white masts. Zabuza said nothing, but she noticed that many of the crew members shied away from them as soon as they saw his sword.

"Kagome" She offered, he just grunted at her.


	37. Graceless

They settled themselves on the far side of the deck against a cabin that surely led into the underside, Kagome was sure this section had a name but she'd never really learned much about boats and sailing. The wall here provided some amount of shielding against the oceans spray that kept attempting to come up over the edges. It did nothing for the ever present chilled fog that drifted about.

Zabuza sat with one leg stretched out, and another propped up so he could rest his arm on his knee. Kubikiribocho slanted at a sharp angle trapped between his back and the wall. Kagome flopped down gracelessly on the side of Zabuza that proffered the hilt. She stretched her arms out parallel with her legs until she felt her back pop. She groaned in appreciation.

 _'I wonder how long before we reach Yugakure'_ She considered asking, but decided against it. He'd probably just grunt at her.


	38. A Lovely Shade of Blue

Kagome felt herself shiver. She couldn't help it, she was practically naked and it was damn cold this far out into the water. She was pretty sure her toes were turning a lovely shade of blue, but she tried not to think about it.

It was then that a young boy approached. He couldn't have been older than twelve, an apprentice of some kind she mused. His arms with heavy with supplies, and the boy attempted to bow low but it looked awkward with his burden.

"Ninja-sama" His voice shook terribly, and he laid the pile at Zabuza's feet before backing up quickly and disappearing around the front of the cabin. It was quiet for a moment while Kagome eyed the strange lumpy bundle speculatively.


	39. Long Long Ago

"Get what you need." Zabuza prompted. So she uncoiled gracelessly, her muscles stiff and the skin of her chest pulling painfully. The dried blood made her shirt stick to the wound in the most uncomfortable way, and it was starting to itch. She didn't even want to think about how crunchy the ends of her hair were. Kagome mostly was too tired to care, although that didn't stop her whimsical thoughts of hot springs in a far off land, in a distant time.

The lump of things didn't reveal much, but there was enough things she been hoping for to feel a rush of gratitude catch in her throat. A ragged back pack, looking like it been patched many times over revealed a thin blanket that smelled faintly of some kind of mustiness and sea water, but it was dry, and it was warm. Underneath that were two rolls of clean albeit threadbare bandages, a small brown tinted glass bottle that smelled faintly of antiseptic. A bottle of water, which she immediately took a drink of, and a clean enough looking rag. Further inspection revealed a pair of faded black pants that were obviously meant for a male.


	40. Thank You

"Thank you" She breathed, Zabuza grunted at her his eyes closed face tilted towards the sky. Dried blood flaked off his skin; his hair had a similar crunchy look to it that she was sure her own hair sported. She offered him the bottle of water, which he took without even looking.

"We will find appropriate footwear on the mainland." His baritone informed her. She just nodded.

Kagome dragged the bag back over to the wall and resumed her position near the hilt of Zabuza's sword. She used the rag to scrub some of the dried blood off her chest dryly before uncapping the antiseptic to dab gently at the wound. It stung, but she'd rather this than infection. Kagome had seen infection before, she knew how painful it could be, how awful it smelled. How easily it killed.

She'd rather have none of that thank you very much.


	41. Wriggle

Kagome mused over her mud caked feet and similarly destroyed shorts. She didn't want to pull on the much warmer pants over them, she was filthy. She took one last short moment to lament over a bath before she covered as much of her body with the blanket as she could. It offered a modicum of privacy as she attempted to wriggle the shorts down underneath it without revealing any skin. Her panties she refused to remove, even though she knew they probably hadn't made it through her roll in the mud unscathed, it was all she had and it would stay firmly adhered to her person. She quickly replaced the destroyed pajama shorts with the threadbare pants.

They were large enough that she had to roll up the bottoms; her muddy feet poking out from the hem. The waist line though… Kagome stood, attempting to finagle the loose fabric into some kind of knot, but it wouldn't go. The pants were much too large for her, but there wasn't near enough fabric to tie. She huffed in annoyance before digging back into the bag to retrieve a small portion of the already paltry amount of bandages. She tore a section away from the main roll and used it to knot a tail into the waistline. It wasn't pretty, but it would do.


	42. Frenemy

She replaced the bandages and grabbed up the bottle of antiseptic and the rag with every intention of seeing to her… ally? Travelling companion? Frenemy? Kagome's brows drew in thinking about it, and then firmly decided it didn't matter. She wouldn't attempt to label this. She was here now, this particular ninja didn't detest her company, and she couldn't very well go traipsing off on her own. She could almost hear Inuyasha's voice in her head berating her for going headlong into a situation with no one there to back her up.

' _Stupid wench. Let me protect you.'_

With that thought firmly shoved into the back of her mind, Kagome turned to Zabuza antiseptic and the now only slightly clean rag in hand. She faltered for a moment to find his dark eyes already watching her go about her clean up.

He looked… amused.


	43. Superhero

Kagome settled the blanket around her bare shoulders, tying a knot in the ends so that it would stay in place. She felt kind of like a kid playing superhero with her mom's towels like this, but at least she was warmer.

Dabbing the tip of her rag into the little bottle of antiseptic to wet it slightly, she kneeled beside Zabuza. His eyes tracked her movements- and as she reached for what appeared to be the worst of the damage at his hair line, his hand shot out to grasp her wrist.

He gave her a pointed look but said nothing before releasing the stolen appendage.


	44. Men

Kagome completely disregarded him. She knew he wasn't going to kill her, and she could spot a complaint about being tended to like nothing else.

"Men." She huffed before swiping gently at the flaking blood with the dried end of the rag. She didn't want to waste water or antiseptic when it could be better used on the actual wound. She just needed to find it first. Maybe…

"I need to remove your head band for a minute Zabuza-san." He grunted his acceptance and she tugged at the knot.

Damn, this thing was really on there. She fiddled with it for another minute before he batted her hands away replacing them with his own. With one yank the metal forehead protector fell into his lap.


	45. Your Skull is Showing

"Well then," With delicate fingers she searched through his hair line to find the offending injury.

"Oh, this might need stitches..." It was pretty deep, the edges a bit jagged. The skin seemed more torn than sliced. The more she tended to it, the worse it seemed. Was that bone showing?

"It will heal." He said. She worked quietly for another few minutes. Trying to clean edges and pull the hair out so it didn't heal inside. Kagome pulled away after another minute to sit back on her legs. Her ministrations had restarted a sluggish flow of blood, but at least it was cleaner.

But it wasn't enough.


	46. Lilac

"I could…" She sounded unsure; Zabuza gave her a blank look.

So she held up her hand and tugged on a small thread of miko ki. It came without struggle or complaint. The tip of her finger lit with the lilac color of her power, she did not move, wanting him to see first. Regardless of her stilled movements Zabuza's hand shot out for the second time to snatch her wrist. He squeezed it tightly; she felt the joint protest at the rough treatment. She winced, but said nothing. She didn't want to go around talking about what she could do where anyone could hear.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, a clear nonverbal warning.

"What's this." He ground out the words, it was not a question- it was a demand.


	47. Something Important

Kagome let the light flicker out, and took a quick look around to ensure that yes; they were alone for the moment.

"Let me show you," She said in a low whisper. Her hand slipped from his grip and she brought her finger tips to her own wound, the light popped back into existence and she ran it over the wound on her breast. She hadn't planned to expend the energy to heal herself, it wasn't so bad to warrant the need to show it off- but it was important that he trust her with this.

At least- it was important to her.

She watched his eyes widen slightly when her ki left only a slightly reddish hue behind where before there had been damage.


	48. Beast of Another Breed

"Iryo jutsu?" His voice sounded a little ragged. She shook her head in the negative. This wasn't a medical ninja technique. It required no hand seals- she didn't even know any. The light was the wrong color entirely, the type of energy completely different; a beast of another breed.

His eyes caught hers and his lips split into that fevered grin he'd given her when they first met, all sharp teeth and unadulterated malice.

"You are no shinobi." He agreed. She kind of wished he stop saying that though- it might be better if people did think that's what she was.


	49. Sputter

She hummed her agreement non-the-less and reached for him again. This time he leaned forward a bit, as if eager to test her. Her miko ki sputtered slightly when it made contact with his tainted chakra, but she bit her lip and reigned control; willing the light to do as she asked.

 _'Please.'_

And it was solid once more, steady in its thrum. Zabuza made strange sound, somewhere between a hiss and a sigh. Kagome stroked the air above the gash, letting her ki sweep into his system, all warm but cool, sharp and yet soft.

She sat back on her legs, satisfied but feeling truly exhausted now. It had been a long night, and it was well into the morning. At least the mist was finally gone.


	50. Art

Black spots danced around the edges of her vision, and she swept her arm across her eyes as if to ward it off. It didn't help much. Zabuza poked around at his hairline with an odd look on his face before he replaced the slashed forehead protector as it had been. Kagome giggled quietly at how sloppy it looked sideways like that.

He gave her another piercing look as if he knew what she was thinking.

 _'He's got the non-verbal communication thing down to an art.'_ Kagome just laughed again, waiving his expression off.


	51. Left Unsaid

"I need to get some sleep." She said it more to herself than him, but he responded anyways,

"Then do so. We will arrive in a few hours." Kagome nodded, and reached into the bag to replace the antiseptic and tuck the now filthy rag into the bottom depths. She pulled out the yet untouched roll of bandages and tossed it to him as an afterthought. He snatched it from the air with a questioning look.

"For your-" She cut off her sentence with a gesture around the bridge of her nose and across her mouth, and he gave her a mildly startled look.

 _'Oh, that's right. It was all torn and laying around his neck last night.'_ Somehow she couldn't bring herself to care about the slip up as her sleep addled brain convinced her to lie down on the deck. She shifted her back into the wall of the cabin and laid her head on the back pack. She was asleep before she even got the blanket untied.

"How do you know these things." He grunted to no one. He hadn't forgotten that she knew his name before it had been given as well.


	52. Musings

Zabuza looked down at the sleeping form of his… newly acquired tool. Her breath came in little puffs and her mouth was opened slightly in her sleep. Her hair was long and wavy, in a shade of raven that was not wholly uncommon in his country. Despite this he knew she was not native to mist. Maybe not even water country as a whole. Her skin was to tanned, her dialect strange.

What had she been doing in those woods? There was no village within civilian walking distance, dressed as she was with nothing on her but a... had that been a lamp?

He turned his thoughts to her strange blood-line limit. Never had he heard of such a thing, to be able to produce two completely opposing techniques with the same power- to destroy and to mend with the same touch. She hadn't even use any hand seals, not even the simple fake ones to help with concentration.

She'd just… done it. Called it up like raw chakra. Raw chakra did not do the things he saw her do. That hunter-nin had been on his last leg, or arm so to speak, he was obviously green in his position as many shinobi of Kiri were with all the losses from the war.

This girl was not shinobi, she did not move with the grace required for close combat, with silent steps and a closed expression. Nor was she civilian though. She had seen battle- he was sure of it. The way she had reacted to the danger posed to her was not seamless, but it had also seemed as if she was familiar enough with the movements.

Zabuza grinned to himself. The way the hunters flesh had burned, like acid. Even death could not take him from her touch; it had spread across his face like disease. He felt his blood lust rise at the memory, aching to see more. He clamped it down hesitantly; now was probably not the time.


	53. Rude

Something was nudging her leg.

 _'Rude.'_ She thought.

She attempted to swat the offending thing away, but she didn't make contact. She was exhausted, her body felt stiff and sore. In another moment she was drifting back off into sleep.

"Kagome." A deep baritone grunted. Did she know anyone with a voice like that? Maybe Sesshoumaru after a particularly long and brutal battle, had there been a battle? She sat up immediately reacting to the thought, but it felt like she'd left her head still sleeping on her pillow.

She rubbed the back of her hand into a bleary eye.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" She inquired. Where was Inuyasha? Why hadn't he been sent to get her? She blinked her eyes open reluctantly to clear the sleep away, and looked up into Zabuza's dark eyes.

"Oh." She realized.


	54. Weathered

The land of hot water was a welcome sight. Kagome hoped the name was as promising as it sounded. She shrugged the weathered backpack a little higher onto her shoulders and followed in Zabuza's wake off the ship. Evening was approaching and the shadows were growing long, the sky streaked deep red and pink hues. She hoped they would make camp soon, but she thought if they had to walk far she could probably sweep her tiredness aside for a while.

They disembarked in what looked like a small fishing village, the crew members she did not learn the names of were already preparing to drag large crates off the ship. Kagome quickened her stride to walk beside Zabuza, and was rewarded with a side long glance.

"Are we headed to Yugakure?" She asked.

He grunted, and then added "Yes."

"Tonight?" She asked looking down at her bare feet.

 _'I don't know how far it is, but as long as I watch where I'm stepping it should be okay.'_


	55. With Shoes On

He looked down at her again, and then followed her line of sight to her feet as well. He made a strange noise.

"Shoes first. I cannot carry you the entire way." Kagome flushed.

"I can walk." This was strangely reminiscent of a conversation they had had before.

' _Besides, I have no money to buy anything with.'_

"You will," He said. "with shoes on."

"Where are you from?" Zabuza changed the subject as they walked. Kagome stiffed, and then forced herself to relax. That was a little left field-

"Err…" she said intelligently. He gave her a sharp look, she was sure he realized her hesitance. Kagome made a sweeping gesture to the surrounding people milling about.

"Could we talk about this later?" His eye lingered on hers, but in the end he just grunted and looked away. She couldn't help the sign of relief.


	56. Mothers

Kagome's face was beat red, and she could feel the heat of her blush creeping down her neck. Zabuza handed the older man some coins, before depositing the plain blue kimono and obi with a pair of very shinobi-looking sandals into her arms.

Kagome couldn't remember that last time someone had _bought_ her something. Probably her mother.

"Thank you" her voice was soft with gratitude and embarrassment.

Zabuza just looked amused.


	57. Civilian Speed

As it turns out, Yugakure was a decent distance away. She said as much out loud, trying very hard not to make it sound like a complaint.

"You walk slowly." Zabuza responded. "Civilian speed." He looked a bit restless in his skin, as if bothered by this.

Kagome hadn't thought about it before, but it probably did bother him. She very much doubted he spent a lot of time walking around at a standard human pace. Ninja and all that. Inuyasha had often complained loudly of the same thing, his entire pack of humans trailing along in his restless wake.

Her sandals crunched into the dirt as they walked. Zabuza crossed and then uncrossed his arms, fingers twitching.

"Ah." She acknowledged. She couldn't help her… human-ness. She wasn't hanyou and she didn't have any chakra enhanced speed or strength. She was just Kagome.

"You could go on ahead, I can catch up as long as we head in the same direction" She offered.

He blinked, and then caught her eyes, searching for a moment. She could see the shadow of his downturned lips beneath his bandages. He looked away, moonlight splayed across his features, apparently finding whatever he'd been looking for.

"No." He settled, just a bit less twitchy, but didn't offer more.

She didn't ask.


	58. Control

They ended up stopping at a travelers rest along a road she hadn't even realized they been walking parallel with. The moon had risen to a decent height in the night sky, but it wasn't so late- or early that she couldn't keep walking. She said nothing though, and followed Zabuza's lead. She didn't think he would be the type of person who would enjoy his decisions being questioned.

She remembered from the manga that he had a rather… controlling streak.

She wondered if the flat images of the little glossy books would measure up to the man who'd taken her in. Then she wondered why he even had to begin with.

 _'Best not to think about these things girl.'_ Besides, she already knew why. She just didn't want to think about the light in his eyes when he looked at the dead hunter at her feet.

Her gaze searched out the man in questions form. He'd settled himself beneath the awning of the simple wooden structure. Her eyes swept out again, avoiding. The night was calm and the breeze was cool, but not cold. The land scape stretched out before her and she felt her heart ache with the similarities. How she missed this.


	59. A Time That Never Was

"Come here." He grunted. She jumped, and then realized she was still standing in the road, staring off into the distance, her thoughts lost to a place that didn't exist here. To a time that never was.

"Aa." She said just to break the awkward moment. Her strides took her beneath the roof of the travelers rest, and she ducked down to sit beside him. The allotted space didn't leave a lot of room otherwise. She tried not to look at him, but there really wasn't a whole lot else to look at with the structure cutting off most of her view. She did a double take when she saw his face.

He looked like he was gearing up to say something, so she waited for him to speak. It was a while before-

"I want you to touch my chakra." He proffered a hand, which bloomed a deep red and black with tainted energy.

"Huh?" She said intelligently. He got that look again- the one he'd had before that she now recognized as ' _I have to say more words than I want to.'_

"Sometimes, with younger children" Here he gave her an unreadable look "You can coax them into realizing their chakra with the guidance of your own."

"Aa" she said again. "But I don't have chakra." This time he did look startled.

"Everyone has chakra; it is required for there to be life." She nodded recalling this from the books. She thought about telling him-

Telling him what? She wasn't sure what she could possibly say to that ' _yes but I don't because I'm not from this universe.'_

O-kay all aboard the crazy train.


	60. Trepidation

"It's not safe" she said instead, eyeing the very demonic feeling energy that was roiling from his hand like boiling steam; spilling over the edges of his fingers like it was heavy, but also rising into the air like nothing.

He gave her a flat look. She cleared her throat, maybe she would have to explain a little.

"My ki- my energy" She tried again when he didn't seem to recognize the word. "It is made of… purity." She felt like it sounded a little ridiculous in the context of this land, but she powered through.

"Yours is…" her gaze swept aside, avoiding his. Not in shame, and not in fear but in a feeling she couldn't quite name. Trepidation maybe.

"The opposite." She finished lamely, and then as an afterthought, just to solidify that this was not a good idea-

"If they clash, mine will purify yours." She did look at him then, hoping he would understand what she was trying to get across.

But she had no such luck, his body language lashed out, his chakra free grasping her upper arm and yanking her into his personal space, damn near into his lap. His expression turned absolutely feral, the air filled thick with his killing intent and blood lust. Her miko ki rose to the surface, but she pushed it down, that would not help right now.


	61. Show Me

"Show me." It came out so guttural, and she wondered at the human who was a demon before her. She struggled to right herself, to sit up a bit and retain at least a modicum of dignity. He did not allow it, pulling her fully into his lap to sit between his legs, his hand that still poured his chakra about proffered in front of her as her back pressed into his chest, caging her in with the length of his limbs.

She sighed.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" She didn't mean to question him, but she had to be sure- there were dangers-

 _-Burns stretched across the man's face, boiling beneath the surface and bursting outwards with the stench of blood and charred flesh-_


	62. Hiss

Zabuza seemed to gain a small amount of control of himself back when he answered with a much more human sounding,

"Yes." But as it was, it still sounded like a hiss.

"Alright." She hesitantly acquiesced, and reached out slowly, her ki came rushing to the surface, she didn't even need to reach for it this time as it rose in a tidal flood to fight the dangers her instincts were hyper aware of.

She tampered it down. She didn't want to turn the man to dust… or worse.

"Just… a little bit." She told herself. It was an uphill battle to only allow that small light that bloomed brightly, gently into her fingertips.

And then she placed them to his palm.


	63. Iron Will

There was a flash, like there always was when her power met an opposing force and then his chakra hissed and spat and just… fizzed into nothing, the energy completely purified. She willed her power with as much force as she could muster-

 _'Do not burn him!'_ and she reached to grasp it and yanked it back into her core with an iron will she did not know she had.

Everything was still, and quiet for a time. Kagome's fingertips lightly touching to Zabuza's palm, she did not turn to look at him, afraid to be the one to break this… whatever it was. It turns out she didn't have to be; he let out a breath, and chuckled. It was a deep and dark as it had ever sounded, but Kagome got the sense that it was the most genuine laugh she would ever hear from him.

"You are something." He said.

Much, much later that night, after she had settled down under her sea-water blanket her head pillowed on the bag, she heard him-

"Maybe not so useless."


	64. Hot Water

AN: I've been trying to keep the Authors Notes to a minimum so I don't interrupt the flow of the story too much, but I did want to mention that from this point forward there is some time-line conjecture. I have done my absolute best to keep it cannon, but there are some holes that I had to fill in as logically as possible. I used the data from many, many Naruto Wiki pages to try and piece the unknowns together. So I hope you'll forgive me if it's not perfect- Please review and enjoy.

When the village of Yugakure crested the horizon, Kagome couldn't help the squeal of excitement. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet chanting,

"Bath! A bath, oh wonderful, glorious, _hot water_ -"

Zabuza gave her a quelling look. Kagome cleared her throat and laughed awkwardly

"A-aha right, right." She flapped her hand in the air at him. "Can't blame me for getting excited at the prospect of being _clean."_

It was her third day here, and this was her first opportunity to bathe since her roll about in the mud and other… substances. Kagome tried not to think about the dried blood on her person, and in her hair. The constant travel had done nothing to help except maybe to flake some of it off.

' _Has it really only been three days? It feels much longer than that.'_

Zabuza gave her a once over, "You are filthy." He agreed.

Kagome gasped at him in mock offence, but she was too excited to be truly affected by his blunt words. Besides, she didn't really think he'd said it pointedly.


	65. Mix

Yugakure was much larger than the little fishing villages she'd seen thus far. It was tucked into the side of a clay-colored plateau, and the buildings they walked past seemed to follow this color scheme. Red colored wood roofed buildings of tan and brown colors. They could have been clay- or maybe some kind of plaster.

The whole area was an interesting mix of modern and Sengoku-era styles and technology. Kagome clearly spotted the electrical poles, and an AC unit scattered here and there, but she saw many people dressed in the styles the villagers she once knew had also sported. The main road from the entrance was paved with a flat kind of riverbed stone carved into large squares that fit nicely together, but everything else was the hard-packed earth she was more used to seeing in Inuyasha's time.


	66. Village that has Forgotten Wars

There were people everywhere- civilians she noticed. _'If there are ninja here, I wonder if I would even see them? Aren't they supposed to be sneaky or something?'_

She recalled in the manga that Konoha has a seamless kind of environment that blended both the civilians and the ninja together, but she didn't know if all the hidden villages were like that or not.

Kagome's musings were answered when they came upon a massive tori gate that arched beautifully into the sky. It looked like it was still under construction as many men were going about placing support beams along the back, and adding the detailed carving designs to the sides.

In large proud letters the tori read: "Village that has Forgotten Wars"

"Ah," She said to no one, "That's a nice sentiment," and she meant it.


	67. Salute

Zabuza placed the coin in her hand without saying anything. Kagome felt terrible. She didn't like that she hadn't provided her companion anything of worth in the last three days- and he'd bought her clean clothes and a pair of shoes; and now he was paying for her bath.

She wanted to apologize,

"If we stay long enough, I can find some work here and I could help pay our expenses" She offered instead. Zabuza said nothing, and she followed him into the onsen.

The woman behind the counter took one look at the two of them all battle weary and travel worn and her pretty face morphed into a look of mild disgust and pity. They paid their respective fees and were ushered into two separate doors on either sides of the entrance room.

"Kagome." Zabuza's flat tone had her turning to look at him before heading into the changing rooms. "Do not wander off." And then he disappeared behind the men's room door.

She mock saluted the air "Yes sir."


	68. Scraps

Kagome placed her bag in the cubby, and quickly removed her stained and torn green tank top and borrowed black pants. She paused a moment considering what to do with them. The pants were probably reusable… but the top was probably going to end up as repurposed scraps. The slice down the front would be impossible to mend without a sewing kit, and the stains would probably never come out.

Her panties were added to the pile, and even though this was the women's only side, she still tucked them underneath the rest of her clothing. They had made it out of her adventure in the woods intact, but she balked at the idea of having to put them back on after she was clean.

Kagome decided she'd find a way to scrub them clean while she was here.


	69. Good Riddance

Kagome scrubbed her skin until it shone pink. Her hair she'd washed twice- just to be sure.

Newly cleaned hair piled atop her head in a messy bun, she sunk gratefully into the water of the onsen. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this good.

She let the water lap at her skin, and the soft laughter and conversation of the woman around her floated about.

"I heard they finally announced the disbandment of the academy this morning" A woman with soft brown hair and softer brown eyes said to a woman with a more classically Japanese look; pin straight black hair and a posture that spoke of good breeding.

"Good riddance," the black haired woman said.


	70. Gamble

"Ninja academy?" Kagome interjected softly, trying not to be rude. Both of the women turned to her. "Yes, the village has decided to focus more on tourism, what with all the natural hot springs here. I even heard they were going to bring in some gambling houses!" The last part was said with breathy excitement.

"Didn't you see the tori on your way in?" the black haired woman interjected a little bit sharply.

"Ah, I did. I just didn't know the details of it. Thank you for letting me know." She bowed a little in the water, trying to be polite.

"Would either of you happen to know of any work available in this area?" The brown haired woman was the one to reply,

"Oh yes, there's lots of work right now. It's mostly manual labor, like building and moving things around though." Her face scrunched up like the thought of hard work was unpleasant. Kagome mused that for these women it probably was.

"You could try for one of the courier positions." The black haired woman added, giving her a doubtful look. Kagome just nodded, and thank them for their suggestions before wandering away and finally leaving the bath all together.


	71. Clean

Kagome retrieved her clean blue kimono from her bag, and slid it on. She shivered with happiness; it felt so good to be _clean._ Her hair was still a little damp, but it would dry. She twisted it atop her head in a messy bun and tied it with the complimentary hair ribbons from the shower rooms. This kept it off her neck while it dried, and kept it mostly out of her face while she traveled.

She wiggled into her still slightly damp panties from their through scrubbing in a sink, and tired her clothing together with the plain obi. She didn't really know how to tie and proper obi knots, but she did know some of the simpler childish ones. She looped and pulled and tired it at her front and then slid it around to sit on her back. It would have to do.


	72. Traipsing Around Without Undergarments

Kagome had absolutely no idea what to do about a bra. It's not like she was… overly blessed in that area, but it did feel weird to go traipsing around without proper underclothing. She could probably get away with it for now, but it only motivated her more to earn some coin.

No way in hell was she going to Zabuza for _that._


	73. catalog

She met her companion in the lobby. He looked fresh from the bath himself, his skin was as pink as hers, and his hair was decidedly dripping. He wore clean clothes, which struck her as odd for a moment; she hadn't seen him carry a bag, where did they come from?

He wore a plan black tank top like his last one, but this one lacked the thread that had followed around the edges like the last one had. Plain black pants, and his ever present arm and leg warmers in a muted white color, the bandages around his nose and mouth looked fresh as well. Kubikiribocho rested in its usual place at his back.

He seemed to catalog her appearance as she approached him, nodding to himself in apparent satisfaction of what he'd gleaned.

Kagome pretended not to notice, and he said nothing about her own cataloging.


	74. Klutz

Kagome took the handful of scrolls the elderly woman proffered. It hadn't been hard at all to find work, and Zabuza didn't seem to care when she told him what she wanted to do.

 _"_ _Do not go far."_ Was all he'd had to say.

"These need to go out quickly dear" The old woman told her in a no-nonsense tone. "Bring me back the receipts and you'll get your pay." Kagome bowed, one of the scrolls rolled off the top of the pile and she scrambled to catch it before it hit the floor.

 _'_ _Way to go klutz'_ she congratulated herself while rearranging her burden to more firmly hold them together. The older woman just sighed.

Kagome set out quickly; searching for the addresses on the little map she'd been provided. It wasn't intensive work, but it kept her feet moving, and she did get to talk to a lot of people. Many were retired ninja; some were very pleased with the change in the village and some… not so much.

She passed Zabuza once; he seemed to just be standing around by the front gate, looking for all the world like he belonged there. Except maybe for the giant blood thirsty sentient sword on his back she might have even believed it.


	75. Misplaced Confidence

Her day passed quickly, darting about from one place to the next. This job had the added advantage of getting to know the roads fairly well, and Kagome was feeling confident as the sun began to set that she could find Zabuza without too much trouble. So her newly earned money in hand, she set out to find her companion.

She was wrong.

Horribly, horribly wrong.


	76. Safety is a Lie

She'd only taken one wrong turn, how could it of possibly turned into this? The boy in front of her pushed her shoulder harder into the wall of the alley she'd attempted to cut across. His chakra enhanced strength easily overpowering her despite that fact that she was older, and somewhat taller.

She thought it would be safe- the village had disbanded their ninja, and it had such a nice sentiment on the tori.

 _'Oh kami why is this happening'_

This was hands down the absolute worst case scenario for walking down an alley in a supposedly safe village.

Terror was a heavy, heady thing and it stilled her thoughts and caught her tongue in her throat. She opened her mouth to scream, to call for help- someone, anyone-

" _Inuyasha!"_ but it came out like a squeak instead of a scream, and Inuyasha wasn't here. Inuyasha didn't exist.


	77. Sinner

The boy brought his fist across her face, snapping it to the side. She would've fallen if he hadn't of been pinning her to the wall. As it was her head rebounded off the brick instead.

Pain exploded in her cheek, blooming across the crown of her head. Eyes watering and gasping for breath but still she could not find the words that boy demanded. She was faintly aware of the blood that trickled from her lip.

"I asked you a fucking question bitch." He repeated again, pushing so hard on her shoulder she could swear she heard it pop. New pain radiated quickly down her arm and up her neck like stabbing needles.

He leaned forward breathing up into her face. His aura was so disgusting; like a fat, bloated, rotting corpse in the summer heat. It made her retch. His face twisted into a look pure disgust, offended by the purity her body gave off.

That's what had attracted him to begin with, her ambient pure aura.

"You're a filthy fucking sinner."


	78. The Thing We're Made Of

He'd said the words like it was the answer to the question he'd originally asked,

 _"What the fuck are you?"_

Like it was the thing he'd wanted her to say. Kagome trembled in his grip, her head ached and her shoulder had clearly been dislocated. She felt helpless.

Hidan was immortal. She couldn't turn him to dust, he was only human. Even if she did manage to burn him like she had with the hunter-nin, she knew it wouldn't stop him.

Even if this Hidan was much younger than the one who would someday kill Asuma.

He still wore his Yugakure head band without the slash; although she knew that it would soon. His village had been disbanded, and she knew instinctively that he carried the tainted aura of someone who'd played too deep into forces they clearly didn't fully understand.


	79. It's in a Name

She could not defeat this opponent- but she'd be damned if she just laid down and died here. Hell no.

Slowly, she reached out her one good arm and placed it on his shoulder just at the juncture of his neck, as softly and unthreatening as could. Her arm trembled and he sneered at her. Just as he went to say something new, Kagome called upon her ki.

It came without hesitation, and this time she did not hold it back. Mass amounts of miko power poured from her body visible to the naked eye. It exploded into existence in thick waves of blinding light, and within the split second that it came to her- just as Hidan's grip on her became excruciating-

She screamed into the night, pouring every ounce of her into a name-

 _"_ _ **ZABUZA"**_


	80. Fliting About

Zabuza had watched her flit about for most of the day, carrying absurd amounts scrolls and packages. Why she insisted on earning coin he wasn't sure- he had enough for what was needed; but she worked hard and that pleased him.

He was unsure if he could teach her as he was teaching Haku. The boy was still young, malleable and most importantly he had what was very clearly chakra. Blood line limit or not.

Her energy... confused him. Zabuza didn't really know much about the technicalities of coils and gates and pathways, but he knew they existed- and he knew what chakra felt like. Even his own, dark and twisted as it was from birth it had the same base feel that Haku's did, even if the details were completely different. In the end it was all chakra.

He didn't know what to make of that. What he did know was that she was a rare thing. Untouched by shinobi values; but strong enough to face them. He would shape her like he was with Haku, and she would become an invaluable weapon.


	81. Little Hands

By the time Haku finally approached the front gate, the stars were casting their cold light and the moon was beginning to rise. Zabuza was weary of waiting.

"Zabuza-san!" Haku's little hands griped the straps of his backpack, and his eyes shone with the warmth he held for his master. Haku had been with Zabuza for at least a years, he was still a small boy and the trip alone had been trying.

Zabuza laid a hand on the boys head, ruffling his hair. "I trust there was no trouble."

"No," Haku pretty face was dusted with a light blush, and his smile did not waiver.

"Come." Zabuza turned, and began picking his way through the streets, looking for his other wayward tool. Haku trotted along beside him.


	82. Irritate

"Was it successfully reclaimed?" Haku smiled brighter and slung his back pack around to dig through it. He presented the porcelain white hunters mask to his master. Zabuza nodded his acknowledgment.

Something interrupted their quiet conversation; he felt it first, before he could see it. It swept through the air around them, a strong current that announced it presence like a solid being.

It irritated his chakra. Then there was light- a bright pink and lilac column exploding above the buildings and trees from a few blocks away.

"What _is_ _that"_ Haku breathed.

And then his name-

" ** _ZABUZA"_**

Haku did not need to be told to follow when he burst forward, intent on retrieving his weapon from whatever danger she'd gotten herself into.


	83. Blessed

He flung her bodily from him onto the ground; it would have done a lot more damage if she hadn't been purifying his chakra even as he attempted to use it to augment his strength. As it was, it jarred her injuries with a sharp crack as she met the earth.

Even as the burns spread rapidly up his neck and over his face, he laughed. It was a twisted pained thing, but it did not lack humor. Smoke began to rise from his charred skin.

"I misjudged you!" He crowed at her "You do understand- this pain, this _agony_! Holy fucking shit it really fucking hurts, bitch!" He sounded immensely pleased over this.

"My lord Jashin has fucking blessed you!" And then he was leaning down grasping her ankle and dragging her down the alley. She gasped a sob and dug her fingers into the hard packed earth in a futile attempt to get away. It wasn't working so she started to kick at the hand that dragged her.

Her clothing was coming loose, the obi lost several paces behind from the ground that had tugged at the knot. She desperately tried hold her kimono closed with her one good arm, her panic rising to new heights-

Where did he think he was taking her?!


	84. A Single Glowing Red Eye

His cackling laughter choked off as her ki burned its way through his vocal cords, but still the sound persisted. Blood poured from his mouth and the wet hacking laughter made her hackles rise.

He continued dragging her, his one glowed red eye left never straying from her body as she struggled. He whipped her leg down hard, it jarred her shoulder and her ankle screamed in protest at the hard angle he forced it into.

Still he laughed all wet and violent in his pleasure. He ripped her around a corner, farther into the dark and her head bounced off the corner of the bricks.

Her vision blacked out for a moment, and she sobbed louder. Pain sheered through her with a terrible intensity.

She couldn't see anything, Hidan reduced to a dark blur. Every jostle as he dragged her sent ripples through her body, paralyzing her adrenaline fueled fight or flight reactions.


	85. Lovers Caress

He stopped suddenly, and crouched low over her shaking body. He reached out to cup her cheek, completely ignoring the new burns that shredded and molted the skin of his fingers apart and soared up his arm. Blood flowed in rivers down her face, getting in her mouth when he swept a thumb over her lower lip. The smoke that rose from his skin got in her nose when she tried to breath, tried to sob. It choked her voice away.

"I can't wait to fucking kill you." He said it like he was talking to a lover.


	86. Maddening Laugh

There was no sound or movement to warn her, or apparently Hidan when suddenly his head was separated from his shoulders.

Hidan's severed head continued to laugh his maddening laugh. She was sure she would hear it in her dreams for year after this.

His body fell over her with a dead weight, crushing her. Her breath left her lungs with a whoosh, and when she tried to fill them again it was his smoking skin she inhaled instead of air. She tried to push at it, but her dislocated arm wouldn't move, and her other arm was pinned between them where she had been trying to keep the kimono closed. So mostly she just ended up weakly kicking her feet.

Kagome couldn't see, couldn't breath- but she felt small, grasping hand pulling at her- tugging at her already loose clothing, pushing at Hidan's body. But Kagome didn't understand, these hands were not her companions, too small and much too cold.


	87. Ice

"Zabuza" She choked, _"Zabuza"_ Her eye searched for him in the dark, needing to confirm that she was safe, that she wasn't being taken again-

She heard him grunt, and she sobbed harder. So, so relived, so very much in pain and tired, but everything would be okay now because she was _safe._

She found him to her right, his sword out stretched perfectly horizontal with the ground, like an extension of his own body. Kagome took a ragged breath, one more thing- just this one last thing and she would let oblivion claim her.

"Zabuza, im-mortal" She tried to fit the right words together but it was so difficult.

"S-separate, limbs- burry ap-part" She tried again but was interrupted by Hidan squalling voice.

"Shut the fuck up you fucking cunt! You don't fucking know anything! _I'll fucking kill you!"_

She herd Zabuza's grunt of affirmation, and then there was a soft, child-like voice soothing her. She couldn't pick out the words, but they seemed well intended. Small hands fluttered around her, dark hair and a white mask. Cold hands, like ice- and understanding filled her.

 _'Oh, Haku…'_ and Kagome knew no more.


	88. Stolen Peace

Kagome weaved in and out of the waking world for a while; too tired to stay awake, but in too much pain to truly sleep.

"Zabuza-san!" A startled voice called somewhere near her, high with a child-like lit. "H-her clothing"

"We don't have time Haku. Fix what you can. We are leaving." Something fluttered about her, tugging, adjusting. And then she felt herself floating. No… that wasn't right… someone was lifting her. She found herself surrounded by a scorching heat; it enveloped her, swallowing her much smaller frame and chasing away the wracking shivers that made her bones ache. She melted into it with a grateful sigh.

Only for her moment of peace to be stolen away when something grasped her arm and popped it back into place with a single precise adjustment.

She screamed.


	89. Depth

She cracked open a bleary eye slowly. She blinked once, twice. It was too bright, she was moving forward and streaks of colors flew by in her wake. Her head lolled into a very warm, very solid chest. Kagome looked up into white. She traced the shape of a jaw surrounded by white… white hair? No… that wasn't right. White... bandages. Yes, she thought maybe that was it. The curve of the neck and jaw moved, and suddenly she was looking into dark eyes. They seemed to be bottomless, going on forever into the depths of nothing and everything all at once.

She must be loopy, she decided.


	90. Crickets

The next time she came around, someone was combing cold fingers through her hair. There was a soft humming sound that followed a tune well. She didn't feel like she was moving this time. There was the sound of crickets somewhere, and the quiet crackle and pop of a fire. The trees whispered words with the wind.

"Zabuza-san," the soft voice said. "I think she's coming around again." A grunt. "Leave her be, Haku." And then the fingers and the humming resumed. Kagome felt grateful for it.


	91. Clouds

It was dark, so very dark. She held her hands in front of her face to see her them but there were none- did she even have hands?

"Hello?" She called into the void, but her voice was swallowed. A gurgling laugh rose within the darkness, and red bloomed within her vision. Big, puffy red clouds danced around her, laughing and bleeding.

"Kikyou" they crooned to her. Kagome tried to tell them no, that's not her name, but the words were trapped behind her teeth. The clouds cackled with glee at her failure.


	92. Empty Dark

They swirled and bled and then there was the whisper of fabric and the clouds were still circling her but they were held in place by black cloaks. The cloaks grew long, spindly spider's legs that glided effortlessly through the black of the void.

"Kikyou" they moaned, sounding more desperate this time, the circle grew tighter. There was a face now, pale and drawn with long wavy black hair and red eyes. Those eyes looked so sad.

"Kikyou." But this time, there was only one voice, clear and distinct. She'd heard it too many times, she hated that voice. But when she turned to find her greatest enemy, instead she found the cackling, mad laughing form of Hidan. His hands were fisted into a large flowing pile of silver hair, and she followed its flow to two droopy puppy ears, and flat, empty golden eyes.

"I'll kill you, Kikyou" Hidan's voice giggled to her, blood poured from his mouth and he collapsed to dust.

Leaving her once again in the quiet, empty dark that was nothing forever. It was somehow worse.


	93. Hem

She reached out, desperate to escape this absolute nothing, no sensation, sight, sound, touch.

Her seeking fingers found fabric. It was warm to touch, and she felt a great relief to know she could still feel. When she opened her eyes this time, she was greeted by muted sunlight coming from a window that had the curtains drawn. Little dust motes swirled happily through the light. The fabric shifted.

"Kagome-san?" A soft voice came from her other side, and it took her a great amount of effort to find it.

"Haku-chan" Her voice sounded ragged even to her own ears, she had hoped it would sound reassuring. Haku's eyes flashed upwards to catch the man's on the side of her that felt like fabric. There was a grunt. She lolled her head back over to find her finger tips weakly grasping the tail end on Zabuza's shirt. He gave her a sharp look, but said nothing.

Kagome misinterpreted it.

"Sorry" She breathed the word out, before she really even knew what she was going to say. She let go of the hem.


	94. Protective Edge

"Would you like me to help you sit up?" Haku asked her gently. She nodded, that would be nice. His hands were cold when he slid them under her sides to angle her upwards. She could feel the hum of his chakra flowing through his arms as he used it to assist his much smaller frame to tilt her bulk into a semi-sitting position.

His aura felt very similar to Shiori, the little bat hanyou from Inuyasha's time; soft, and kind but with a fierce protective edge.


	95. Feverish

Kagome felt very numb, and she knew this could mean nothing good. She called upon her miko ki, it sputtered into her hands weakly, the light softer than a single candle. She raised it to the back of her head, where she could feel a consistent throbbing. Her ki settled into her skin, easing the pain and clearing her head some.

"You have been feverish." Haku offered. She nodded for lack of anything to say.

"Where are we?" Her voice sounded steadier this time, a small victory. It was Zabuza who answered.

"We are on the boarder of sound and fire."

 _'Sound and… fire…'_ She mused to herself. She wondered for the first time if Zabuza was actually going somewhere, or if they were just wandering about. She supposed being a missing-nin really freed up your schedule.


	96. Slur

Kagome got better slowly, that first night at the hotel was the worst of it. Her body couldn't seem to decide if she was burning up or freezing cold. It made her dizzy, made her words come out in a slur. The most uncomfortable part though, was the way the walls would… breath. They waved and wobbled like a heat wave, it made her eyes hurt so she tried to keep them closed. Then promptly decided the spiraling sensation behind the dark of her eyes was much, much worse.


	97. Coo

It was strange how well attuned Zabuza and Haku seemed to be to her, because when she became restless and kicked off the covers around her and her hair began to plaster to her head- Haku would come. His small cold little hands would comb through her hair, and move it away from her face. He would rub small circles in her neck and say soft things to her.

"How old are you Haku-chan?" she didn't mean to say it out loud- but well there it was. Haku looked thoughtful for a moment, his adorable little face screwed into a look of concentration.

"I'm not sure." He said, "I have been with Zabuza-san for one winter, and it is almost winter again."

"Maybe I am six, maybe seven." Kagome cooed.


	98. Cocoon

Later that night- when she thought she was alone, cocooned in the comforter of the bed and shivers wracking her body; trying to find some nice medium between breathing walls and the spinning behind her eyes. Her teeth chattered. She wasn't sure where Haku had gone, but she knew he wasn't here because the soft humming was absent.

 _'Bless that boy and his soft ways.'_

A weight settled at her back, startling her. She tried to untangle herself from the comforter, but a hand reached down to settle her.

"Be still." Zabuza's voice, gruff as usual. He pulled her form back into him, and suddenly her cold was washed away with his immense body heat. It radiated around her and chased away the brittle feeling in her teeth and bones from her shivers.

She sighed in relief.


	99. Lost

"Kagome." He spoke right as she was about to drift off again. She made a small noise, somewhere between frustration and acknowledgment.

"Where are you from." Even though his voice was quiet, she knew it was not a question but a demand. Such was his way. She sighed softly in acceptance.

"So very far away, I am lost."She added the last part as an after thought. For a while, she wondered if she had spoken to softly and he hadn't heard. His bulk shifted behind her, and a hand grasped her gently to roll and face him.

It was dark in the room, and she almost felt like the motion was moot- but he was ninja, maybe he could see better than her. Her eyes traced the dim outline of what she thought might have been his shoulder.

Before she caught herself, she found her arm untangling from the pile of blankets and reaching out to cross the slight space between them to lightly lay her fingertips on his chest. She felt it rise and fall with his breathing, it was immensely comforting for her.


	100. A Nice Sound

AN: In commemoration of my 100th chapter I wanted to take a section here to thank my wonderful reviewers. KEdakumi, and KuroKat013: for sticking with me from day one, HalfBlackWolfDemon: for your exuberance that makes me excited to write more, AngelFire123: for saying some of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me, and all my other wonderful reviewers for taking the time to read my story and telling me what you think. I hope you've all enjoyed it thus far, and I look forward to writing many more interesting chapters!

Please enjoy this extra long chapter with a little bit of fluff!

* * *

"Do you know what your power is?" Zabuza's rumble broke through her drifting. She hummed to him, and then- "Yes."

"But you are not new blood." She wasn't sure if was a question or not- whether she was the first in the line of a blood-line limit. They had spoken briefly of it before now, what felt like so long ago underneath the awning of a travelers rest.

"No," She agreed. "It's miko ki." He grunted, and she felt the way it vibrated through his chest. "And miko ki is not chakra" he surmised.

"No." she agreed again, and moved her hand forward just that slightest bit so she could lay the flat of her hand on him. If he cared, he said nothing; he was always apathetic that way.

"And the things that you know," Here she felt him shift in what might have been an aborted gesture. "Are they a part of this... miko power" Kagome was at a loss as to how to answer this. So she thought very carefully, turning over many possible words in her mind before she answered him, she felt like he deserved some kind of answer at least.

"Not… exactly." She felt him still at the admission. "I do… know some things, but it's not like I can tell the future- or anything crazy like that. It's just a single possible outcome among many." The rush of words made her feel light headed. "None of the… time lines" she said for lack of a better term, "Ever involved me." He grunted at this.

"You are a very valuable tool." He said at last just as she was at the edge of sleep again.

"And you are a very valuable friend." His answering laugh rumbled through his chest, deep and soft without its blood-lusty edge. She thought it was a nice sound.


	101. Unexpected

Zabuza felt her breathing even out again, and he gently removed her hand from where it had tangled in his shirt to replace it underneath her covers. She was a bit touchy at times, but she wasn't a shinobi and he couldn't expect her to act like one. That aside- if she found comfort in him then he knew her loyalty would be secured.

When he had asked her about her knowledge he had meant more along the lines of how she'd known his name- and Haku's, how she'd known that boy in the alley was what he was... how to combat it.

But this… he hadn't expected this. Maybe she was more feverish than he'd realized. How could one know the future, but not know the future? It was… the strangest thing he'd ever heard.


	102. Something of Value

Zabuza reached out to remove a lock of hair that had found its way into her mouth. If anyone found out about her, what she knew, the things she could do… he would have to keep her close. She was a most valuable power. The ability to dissipate chakra as one tried to call upon it alone, the things a shinobi could do with her- do to her.

"A very troubling admission, Zabuza-san." He grunted at the boy who had been waiting for his turn during her fever. Haku was young, but he was not stupid.

"Haku, you will watch her when I cannot."

"Yes Zabuza-san." Haku agreed. Haku would always agree, he was a good tool like that.


	103. Burning Panties

Kagome moved slowly, uncurling herself form the blankets and sliding carefully to touch her bare feet to the floor. It was at this moment that she realized she was a mess. She stank like blood and smoke, and she was covered in… yuck she didn't even want to think about it. Her clothing was in tatters, she lamented that she would have to throw away the plain blue kimono that Zabuza had gifted her. It was shredded up the back, the obi long gone. She stood slowly, and the front fell open to remind her that she wasn't wearing a bra… and a pair of panties she was sure she was going to burn before the end of the day.

Kagome made a strangled noise. Was she like this the entire way here?

"Crap."


	104. Freaking Ninjas

"Is something wrong Kagome-san?" She clutched her clothing closed as tightly as she could when she heard Haku. She could have sworn there was no one here with her. Freaking ninjas.

"No, no- it's just, my clothing is a bit..." she paused looking for the right word.

"Ah," Haku said. "We found you a few replacements on our way here." She heard him rustle around behind her, but she didn't turn. Little boy or not, she didn't exactly want to go around showing everyone what she was made of.

"I will put them in the bathroom for you." He said then, more steps and some shuffling and then, "I will be right outside." And the door clicked shut.


	105. Mad Dash

Kagome let go of a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. It whooshed out and she swayed, almost falling back into the bed. Her body ached everywhere. Her head was pounding and she wasn't sure if she'd ever been this thirsty in her entire life.

" _Haku."_ Oh no that was Zabuza's voice- Kagome vaulted from her place near the bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom door, the only door in the room that was open.

And of course she tripped when her ankle gave a nasty twinge, but she managed to save it before she fell flat on her face.

Kagome heard the door knob squeak as it started to turn and she lunged for the bathroom, pushing the door shut with her back.

That was close. She heard Zabuza chuckle on the other side of the door.


	106. Senbon

Kagome didn't really like chest bindings. They itched, and they made her sides sweat in the heat. If you didn't put them on just right it could be difficult to breath- or worse they could come loose. She had worn them before in the Sengoku era out of the same necessity, so she figured she'd just have to deal with it now like she had dealt with it then. At least her new underwear was modern enough.

She absolutely refused, one hundred percent would not even think about thinking about who had bought them.

Her sandals crunched in the gravel as she trailed along behind the boys. Haku was idly rolling a senbon between his fingers and Zabuza looked as disgruntled as he always did.

The sunlight flashed down the side of Haku's silver senbon as he twirled it, and Kagome wondered how good he was at this point with the projectiles. A little light bulb went off somewhere in Kagome's mind.

"Haku-chan…" The boy in question turned to give her a kind smile. "Yes Kagome-san?"


	107. Hama No Ya

"Just Kagome is fine please." And then she made a mild gesture at his weapon. "Do you think you could teach me to use those?"

Zabuza turned to look at her then too. She could have sworn he looked… pleased. Haku looked thoughtful.

"Yes, I think I could. It would take time… do you have any experience with projectiles?" Kagome nodded to the small boy eagerly,

"Yes, I'm pretty good with hama no ya, I could always be better but I haven't been practicing much lately…" Studying took up all her time back home, and it had never occurred to her that she might need the skill again.


	108. Proficient

Haku had a confused look on his cute face, and Zabuza gave her a blank look. "What is a hama no ya?" Kagome had to look away from him to avoid the coo that wanted to bubble up. She couldn't help it, the kid was damn adorable. Almost as cute as her little Shippo-chan…

"Bow and arrows" she supplied. Zabuza stopped walking.

"You are proficient with a weapon?" He scrutinized her. Kagome felt a little bit of indignation in her chest at his look, she wasn't completely helpless! Mostly! Okay- maybe she needed to reevaluate her standard of helpless in this world.

"I'm decent at it." She said instead. Zabuza and Haku shared a look.

"We will procure them for you." And then he was walking again, headed to whatever destination only he knew. Kagome trotted to catch up with them.

"You will still learn from Haku." Zabuza added and Kagome nodded eagerly. She turned to Haku and gave a little bow.

"Please take care of me Haku-sensei" The boy blushed cutely and bowed a little awkwardly back.


	109. Land of Fire

It was another couple of days before Haku was just gone one morning. She felt confused at his lack of presence. She went about cleaning up their small camp, packing away her sea-water blanket into her rough back pack someone had managed to salvage from the disaster that was Yugakure. She swished some water in her mouth for lack of a tooth brush and combed her fingers through her hair before twisting it to sit atop her head in a messy bun.

Zabuza offered no explanation about Haku's absence, so she trusted him that there was no immediate danger, nothing to be worried about. Curiosity did eat at her though.

"Are we heading into fire country?" She asked instead. Zabuza grunted.

"Soon. We will need to cut through quickly. The land of rivers is several days travel at a shinobi pace and Leaf-nin are thorough with their border checks."

Kagome thought that was probably the most words she'd ever heard him use together.


	110. Familiar Weight

Kagome didn't know a lot about different types of wood. She knew they came in lots of different colors, and had many different uses. Right now she wished she did though, just so she could give a name to the beautiful red colored recurve bow she held in her hands.

The weight and shape of it so familiar to her she felt a rush of nostalgia hit her hard. "Thank you" She breathed to Haku, who was holding out a quiver packed full of arrows. Kagome adjusted the swath of fabric attached to one end that allowed her to carry it on her back. She tied it in place across her chest, and then added the proffered quiver to the pile. She had to reduce her backpack to one strap but she would manage. It wasn't too odd, and she could drop the bag faster if she needed to get the bow out. She hoped there wouldn't be a need, but she felt better knowing she could if there was.

"There's this too," Haku offered her the little round pouch with straps. "It goes around you thigh like this" he make a gesture to show her. "I'll show you how to make a slit in your kimono later so you can have easy access." He added.

Kagome opened the bag to find senbon. She felt like she might cry, "Thank you" she said again. It came out a little watery that time though. Haku just smiled his bright smile for her.


	111. And the Plot Thickens

He held his face in his palm, elbow leaning on the desk. It had been such a nice morning so far too. He was sure today was going to be a good day. He tapped the pen against his desk, waiting. If he didn't know any better he'd say that damn kid was being late on purpose. Really though, two hours late? To every summons for the last three months? This was getting out of hand.

He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh of frustration. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." He tried not to sound aggravated. He really did.

"You asked for me Hokage-sama?" Minato wanted to bang his head against his desk. But he didn't. Because he was a very composed, intimidating Hokage. Right, yea that was it.

"I've asked you not to call me that Kakashi-kun." The boy in question eye-smiled at him, tilting his head to the side like he was completely innocent. Minato wasn't buying it.

"Of course Hokage-sama." Minato wilted.

"Maa, maa. What happened to my cute little student? Didn't you used to respect me?" Kakashi completely ignored him.

"Something I can do for you Hokage-sama?"

Minato swore to himself to sick Kushina on him before the day was over.


	112. Coping Methods

He knew Kakashi was developing some very odd coping methods after the war, and Minato didn't begrudge him that. With both Obito and Rin now…

He waved a hand through the air as if to ward off his train of thought. He'd thought his wayward student was going a little overboard with ANBU lately, but at least he didn't seem to be at risk of following in his father's footsteps.

Now there was an overly depressing idea.

He shuffled around some papers on his desk and dug up the file he needed. Kakashi stepped forward to take it.

"There have been some disturbing reports from our neighbors in Yugakure." He started as Kakashi flipped through the paltry amount of information available in the file.

"I thought they had disbanded their shinobi forces? A smoke screen?" Kakashi mused.

"No this isn't about that- at least I hope it's not. We have a couple plants out there keeping an eye on the situation and they report that the transition seems very genuine." Minato folded his hands on the desk, all business now.


	113. Shady Buisness

"However." Kakashi looked a little less board than he usually did. Good- maybe this would catch his interest enough to give him a break from ANBU.

"Approximately four days ago, there was a phenomenon of some kind that went off like a bomb in the middle of the night. Despite the large output of an unknown energy- as it has been thoroughly reported that it was not chakra based- there were no damages and no fatalities. But the sheer force of whatever it was could be felt by the entire village, and was strong enough to be seen visibly. It has been described as a column of light that shot into the sky."

"I want you to go and see what you can find. Make sure Yugakure isn't trying to pull something shady. And if it is a weapon of some kind I want you to gather as much intelligence on it as possible. Do not engage. Report back for more orders on what you find. This is a time-sensitive mission and I need it completed as quickly as possible."

Kakashi snapped the file shut and nodded. "Understood."


	114. Breaking Mirrors

Kakashi nodded to the woman who spoke in a rush and used lots of wild hand gestures.

"-And then there was this WOOSH and I swear I knew something bad was going to happen because I broke a mirror just that morning and everyone knows how that's horrible luck- and then there was this blast that shot through the air and everyone started freaking out! AND THEN there was this huge purple light that filled the sky! It was almost like day time for a whole second I swear you'd never believe it unless you were there but it had THE WEIRDEST feeling to it- and I would know kiddo I was a shinobi for almost 16 years you know, Genin corps. my whole life-"

Kakashi just kept nodding. It was going to be a long day.


	115. Missing-Nin and Civilian Girls Oh My

The old man who was painting the pillars of the tori looked a little shaken by his questions. Kakashi was a little disturbed by what the old man had to say in return.

"A missing-nin?" This was… not good. "Yes," the old man nodded eye darting about as if looking for a way to escape him. "He had a head band- with the slash." Here he made the gesture across his forehead. "Looked like a mist native, it had the lines" He gesture again with two fingers sliding sideways; one on top and one on bottom. Kakashi nodded in what he hopped was an encouraging way.

"He was a tall bulky fellow, had a big sword on his back. He waited here almost the whole day. He came in with some girl, pretty little thing, she didn't have a head band though. They looked pretty ragged, hard to miss something like that in a village like this."

"Do you know what he was waiting here for?" The old man dipped his brush into the bucket of paint idly.

"No not really. I left in the evening to go home, I did pass him again though after dark on my way to get something to eat. He was still here- the girl wasn't with him though. I think she took a courier job or something she was running around a lot."


	116. Gai the Excentric Figurehead

The woman behind the counter at the onsen had corroborated what the old man at the tori arch had to say. A civilian girl had come in with a missing-nin from Kiri. They appeared to be worn, with torn and bloodied clothing. After they had left the missing-nin had gone to the gates to apparently wait for something, and the girl had taken a courier position for the day. Kakashi was about to leave to follow the courier lead when the woman behind the counter called him back.

"There is this-" She said pulling out a box form beneath the counter. "We have to keep items left here for a certain amount of time in case the owners come back for them. I think that girl left these here. It was what she was wearing when she came in." She produced a box, and inside it was what may have at one time been a nice green tank top and a pair of shorts. Not exactly something anyone he knew would go walking around in but he also knew some pretty eccentric people- case and point Gai.

He could recognize sign of battle and blood stains when he saw them. He was starting to wonder if this girl really was a civilian.

"Do you mind if I take these?" The woman made a disgusted face. "Be my guest."


	117. Tracker

Kakashi thanked the cranky old woman, and shuffled through the receipt copies that the girl had supposedly retrieved the day she was here. Each of them had a time stamp, so he riffled through until he got to the last one.

8:46 pm. The sun would have been well into setting this far into the fall season. Kakashi murmured to himself, wouldn't she have gone to her companion at that time? Where would she have gone?

Well he wasn't a tracker for nothing.


	118. Bad Signs

Late evening found him at the entrance to alley way.

"This is it boss." The little pug sat back on his haunches and wrinkled his nose. "Smells like blood."

"Thanks Pakun, wait here for me." Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched his way into the darkened area. It really did reek of blood. Both the girls and someone else's. He kneeled down into the dirt to get a better look at what appeared to be drag marks. There were clear indentations where nails had gouged in.

Kakashi found an abandoned obi shoved into the side of a brick wall. His brow furrowed. Drag marks and clothing? That was never anything good; maybe she was a civilian then. Shinobi didn't just let themselves be dragged around and have their clothing removed.


	119. Blood Void

He followed the trail around a corner to a much wider alleyway, it was a dead end here but one building was much taller than the other and had a kind of balcony that overshadowed the area, blocking off the sky. He imagined it would be very dark here at night.

The bricks at the corner had a lot of blood on them, like she might have hit it on her way around. At his first real look around though, that seemed like nothing in comparison.

It must have been a massacre. Someone had died here. There was blood on everything, a large spray arched across one side and a puddle all across the middle. Someone had definitely bled out here. Hadn't Minato-sensei said there were no fatalities?

There was a body-shaped void in the puddle, a small body. Probably the female. It obviously wasn't her blood for the most part, it didn't have her scent.

So she was attacked, and while she'd been on the ground something had killed her attacker- or possibly very nearly killed the attacker. They had either bothered to take the time to clean up after themselves which he doubted- this kind of thing tends to attract a lot of attention. Or the assailant had gotten up and walked away, which seemed just as unlikely.


	120. Is Your Refrigerator Running?

The more Kakashi investigated the alley the more concerned he became. The blood aside, there was the strangest energy residue. It hung in the air here, making it feel almost crisper. Another startling realization was a glaring lack of chakra. Of any kind at all. There was no chakra residue from any techniques that might have been used to kill the assailant; there wasn't even any ambient chakra.

Even if whoever killed this girl's assailant hadn't used any nin-jutsu, there still should have been ambient chakra. Just from people being here there should have been ambient chakra.

Now, Kakashi wasn't a sensor- no he was a tracker, he couldn't follow a line of one person's chakra signature that was 4 days old, but the fact there just _was no chakra here at all_ was like a void where there should have been something. Like he'd come home one day to find that his refrigerator wasn't in the kitchen where he left it.

He needed to report to Minato-sensei.


	121. Report

"Report." Minato was a little concerned, it looked like Kakashi hadn't stopped at all on his way out or back. Poor kid looked exhausted. Maybe he'd pushed the whole "time-sensitive" thing too hard? Well… it was but... Kakashi really took these kinds of things to heart.

As Kakashi began to relay his findings, he concern only grew. He rubbed his temples. He was going to have a terrible head ache from this he just knew it.

"What do you mean exactly by no chakra at all?" Kakashi also looked like he wanted to rub his temples too.

"I mean just that, it was like a void in the air. It just wasn't there. Replaced by the unknown energy that seemed to originate from that back alley way." Minato mused that this could mean nothing good. At all. He gave Kakashi a long look.

"Give me your theory." Kakashi nodded and relaxed a little into an at-ease position with his hands shoved into his packets and slouching forward. Kakashi was a prodigy, and Minato wanted to hear what he thought.


	122. Fathom a Reason

"I can't fathom a reason that a missing-nin from Kiri of all places would want to drag around a civilian girl. Unless A." he ticked off his fingers "She really is a shinobi, or B. she has, or can do something that a missing-nin would find valuable." He gave his Hokage a drawn look. "And we both know what Kiri finds valuable."

Minato sighed and Kakashi added "This is all conjecture, though. The only hard evidence I have is that she was in the same place as this phenomenon when it happened. It might just be a bad luck case of wrong place and time."

"I feel like we have more questions than answers." Kakashi hummed his agreement.

"If she has a weapon of some kind that can eradicate chakra, we can't just let her wander around unchecked. I want you to take a team and track her down. Gather as much information as you can, where she is from, what she can do. Find out her civilian status, and if she isn't a shinobi, and she really is a threat, retrieve her."

"And the missing-nin?"

Minato looked out the windows to his office. It was still early in the day, he wondered if Kushina was already at Ichiraku's. Maybe he would meet up with her for lunch. The woman was a bottomless pit she could eat more than he could- especially now.

"Do what you have too."


	123. Distraction

Kagome fumbled with throwing the little silver needles. She felt frustrated with them, it seemed almost impossible to get a good enough grip on the tinny little things to throw them with any sort of precision. Plus she had no added benefit of using chakra to enhance her muscles or eye sight. Practice was slow going, but she was trying hard. At least, when she wasn't being distracted.

Kagome snuck another glance over to where Zabuza was knee deep in the river, preforming some kind of kata that involved pulling the water up and around his body in ribbons and waves. She had seen a lot of things in her life, but something about the way he made the water bend to his will seemed like magic.

"Let's take a break" Haku said sounding amused. Kagome blushed scarlet.

 _'Busted'_


	124. Callus

They ambled over to the water's edge a little farther down form where Zabuza was doing his morning warm ups. Kagome dipped her sore hands into the cold water gratefully. She was already starting to get calluses in places other than where her bow had required them. She hoped that it would help with the traction issue she was having with the smooth metal of the senbon.

She supposed if all else failed she could infuse them with her ki. Testing that had been the very first thing she did. For now though, she would keep practicing and she'd just have to rely on her hama no ya skills in an actual emergency.


	125. Bag of Feathers

They were coming along the side of the water bend when Zabuza stopped.

"I will carry you from here. We must move quickly to reach the land of rivers." Kagome nodded, she was pretty used to this arrangement. Except… Being on Inuyasha's back had added a lot more mobility for her something she lost when being carried in a horizontal position.

"Do you think you could manage with one arm? It would leave your other open in case you need your sword and I'd be able to use my bow in an emergency."

Zabuza gave her a flat look. Kagome giggled behind her hand, "Yes, of course you can didn't mean to insinuate anything."

He kneeled down beside her to scoop her up, his hand curled around the outside of her thigh as he lifted her, and she could immediately feel the burning heat rolling off of him. He didn't even seem off balance when he rose; like he was carrying nothing heavier than a bag of feathers. She supposed his sword was probably heavier than she was, and he'd never had any trouble with it.

Kagome braced herself on his shoulder to keep from losing her own balance, it wasn't a perfect arrangement, and it was more than a little awkward for her but they could make it work.


	126. Grueling Pace

They'd been cutting across the land of fire at a grueling pace. Moving through the first night without stopping but by late afternoon of the next day it was becoming apparent that Haku needed to rest. Hell, even Kagome needed a rest.

Zabuza was as unflappable as he always was.

"We will stop here." Kagome looked around; it seemed like a pretty good spot. Everything had been nothing but trees since they'd entered fire country, and this area wasn't any different. Thick copes of foliage on all sides provided a lot of cover and a decent amount of hiding.

Zabuza uncurled his fingers from around her thigh and she slid home onto the ground. Her legs wobbled dangerously. She decided it didn't matter and let herself side into the dirt.


	127. Hair Brushes and Dark Auras

_'Oh kami I have never felt softer more comfortable dirt in my life.'_ Haku ambled over to her, his long hair plastered to his head and coming out of the fabric at the back that he used to roll it together. Kagome fussed over him for a minute while he settled himself into her side. She retrieved the water bottle from her backpack and gave it to him first, which he took with a grateful smile. She dug around for the hair brush and pulled it out with an "Aha!"

With practiced movements learned over the last week on the road with the boy she pulled his hair down and started brushing it away from his forehead. He relaxed into her with a sigh. Kagome hummed softly to him, something her mother used to sing to her. Something she used to sing to Shippo. Zabuza settled himself down on her other side and she could feel his dark aura brushing against her lighter one. His heat chased away what little chill was attempting to come about as the sun set.

By the time she had Haku's hair back up in a neat bum, the boy was dead asleep in her lap. Kagome thought he had the right idea and let herself relax into Zabuza's side and closed her eyes as well.

Just a little nap before they head back out.

She knew it wasn't to be when she felt Zabuza's muscles coil and tense dangerously at her side and his aura flare out in warning.


	128. A Life Time Ago

Kagome had never been one to hide from the circumstances she found herself in. When she'd broken the Shikon, she took responsibility for it. When Shippo needed a family, when a wandering monk was found adrift, when a demon slayer needed a family, and Inuyasha… Inuyasha who needed to know what it was like to be loved. Kagome never balked from the responsibilities that the world laid at her feet. Even when the danger was over and the final battle was won and her own time had pulled her back like water down a drain, she had accepted this. Maybe not with as much grace as she would have liked, but she made the most of it.

So when she found herself in this world, it felt somehow like a strange homecoming. Kagome knew responsibility. It was familiar, she could do responsibility.

Once, a life time ago- Inuyasha had asked his brother;

 _"Do you have someone to protect?"_

Kagome lived by these words. Zabuza and Haku were hers to protect. Her responsibility and she would make damn sure that with her here now, they would _live_.


	129. Chase

Zabuza was up in a flash, sweeping Kagome and Haku from the ground; neither of them protested. Something was coming and they knew it. He moved faster alone than they ever had with all three pairs of feet on the ground, his body thrummed with chakra. The world around her was a blur of color, light and dark in a disorienting mix.

She wondered vaguely if this was the body-flicker technique. This thought was quickly over ridden when three auras pinged onto her mental map.

The chase was on then.


	130. Upper Hand

"Three of them, they're coming in fast" Zabuza grunted and veered off to the left. The trio broke through the trees and Zabuza's stride ate up the ground like the demon he was named for. The world came to a stop with the sound of splashing water. Zabuza set them down in the shallows of a river bed.

So they weren't running then, just looking for the upper hand.

"Haku, support from the tree line." And the boy was gone with a flicker.

Not a moment later three bodies flashed between them and the trees, just like the hunter-nin had come on that night that felt like so long ago.

Kagome's bow was in her hand, arrow nocked and ready to fly. Zabuza's hand lay on the hilt of Kubikiribocho.

For all the world that they were ready, Kagome knew when she saw the three Konoha-nin that this was a battle they could not win.


	131. Making Things Worse

So she took a page out of Inuyasha's book.

"Oh, fucking hell." Zabuza's eye's met hers for the barest moment, and she heard the unasked question.

 _'Is this one of those knowledge things.'_ So she answered him in the softest whisper she could manage, hoping he would hear her over the babbling brook and they would not.

"Yes, it's one of those things. Don't make eye contact with the two on the left, the one on the right has wood release techniques."

Kagome knew she failed when they tensed and hands twitched toward weapons pouches.

 _'Good job making it worse Kagome.'_

Zabuza grunted to her but did not take his eyes from the threat presented to them.

Kagome stepped forward very slowly, taking care that Zabuza understood she might be able to handle this with words instead of teeth and blood. He shifted slightly but did not otherwise protest. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tight enough for her to hear it groan. Kagome did not leave the distance it would take for her to reach out and touch her companion, but she was hoping she could diffuse this before it got started.

Before her stood the characters of her favorite story in the flesh, Kakashi held the middle, looking only a little younger than herself. To his right was Tenzo, or Yamato or whatever he was going by right now.


	132. Gutteral

And then there was… Itachi. Kagome felt her heart melt and bleed into a million little pieces at the sight of him. He was so young, barely older than little Haku. Even still, she knew he must be a chunin by this time, and he was a deadly person to underestimate. Still… his face lacked the stress lines that he would bare at an older age, and there was still baby fat in his cheeks.

Kakashi stepped forward in a physical show of leadership. She heard Zabuza make a very guttural growling noise behind her. She needed to tread this ground very carefully, or someone, if not all of them would be dead.


	133. I Don't Know You

Kagome felt her breath catch. This was Hatake Kakashi, standing right in front of her. A real live human being- well, as human as these ninja's could be she supposed. But Kagome's breath wasn't eluding her in admiration.

She was angry, so very angry at the sight of this man. Despite the way his silver hair made her chest ache, his clothing, and mask and forehead protector seemed so familiar to her. Even though he had once been a favorite character in a book. The Kakashi in front of her wasn't some character, he was a person- and she didn't know him at all.

This was the Kakashi who in a single possible world would murder her companions, and their deaths would be forever.

' ** _No.'_** she vehemently made up her mind on the subject.


	134. Born a Nara

"Hello" she called to him, in what she hoped was a disarming voice. It was slightly at odds with the arrow she had trained on him. She needed this to go well; she needed this to end without bloodshed.

"We don't want to fight, we're just passing through." She heard Zabuza grunt his disagreement, and she fervently hoped he would just give her a few minutes.

Kakashi hands were shoved in his pockets, and he had a slouch going that could have made him a Nara. His one visible eye was sharp though. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tenzo move his hands behind his back. Well, that was bad.

"We're looking for someone" Kakashi replied, his voice sounding casual. "Maybe you've seen her. Civilian girl who has been seen traveling with a Missing-nin from Kiri." Here his eye flickered over to Zabuza for a moment.


	135. Break

Zabuza's growl reached a whole new level of threatening.

"Aa, I'm not sure I have. What would a ninja need a poor helpless civilian girl for?" Kagome played along. Kakashi pulled his hands from his pockets slowly and laid them slack at his sides. Kagome wasn't fooled.

"We have some questions for her- about Yugakure." And it was in the wake of that statement that many things happened all at once.

Zabuza, beautiful, ugly, graceful and deadly, Zabuza- bless his heart, who had been so patient and let her lead for the last two minutes, lost it.


	136. Battle Cry

Wooden pillars burst from the ground in the same moment she let her arrow fly, it blazed a trail towards the leaf ninja, thick billows of fog that rose from nowhere parted in its wake. Zabuza was in front of her the moment her arrow left her finger tips- sweeping her behind his bulk, sword braced in front of him splitting a pillar apart before it could reach her.

"Now we do this my way" He snarled at her.

Kagome saw a flash of brilliant light and she knew her arrow hit the mark, the largest mass of wood quickly turning into a trail of ash like the end of a cigarette that burnt too fast. Kagome took all of a microsecond to appreciate the fact that this was the first time in this world she'd managed to successfully turn something into ash instead of a smoking mass of burning.

The mokuton user was forced to let go of his jutsu or let the purity traveling down the wood reach into his arms. He dropped the technique like it was going out of style.


	137. Dark and Quiet Pond

"No eye contact!" She reminded him through the fog that had become so thick her eyes couldn't pierce it, but she heard his answering grunt. She nocked another arrow but held it to the ground; she couldn't fire if she couldn't keep up with their auras darting about for fear of hitting Zabuza.

She heard the harsh shriek of metal sliding against metal, and she bared her teeth in frustration.

"I hope you can follow your own advice" The voice came from behind her, maybe he had hoped to surprise her, but Kagome had felt him circling around as soon as she had let her arrow fly.

Itachi's aura was like soft ripples on the surface of a dark and quiet pond.

The moment Kagome became aware of it brushing along her own, was the same moment she remembered the feelings of rage and despair for the soul of a child who was asked to give everything he had- even what he could not give. And Itachi did, he gave everything for Sasuke.

She choked back a sob- how she wished… Kagome shook her head to dispel the thought. Now was not the time. She didn't know if she could change the course of the Uchiha's fate, but she certainly couldn't do anything about it right now; in the middle of battle.


	138. It's a Secret

"Itachi-chan" She greeted, and she heard his footsteps falter at the sound of his name. Good- she could use this. If he had been his older self she was sure this would already be over, as it was she didn't think he could have been much past a ten year old. He probably wasn't even ANBU yet.

"How do you know my name?" his voice was coming closer, so she took a couple of steps away, carefully keeping her eyes locked on the ground.

"That's a secret Itachi-chan." She responded to him. Kagome became momentarily distracted by what she recognized as a pained grunt from her companion.

 _'Hold on, just a little longer I'll find a way to get us out of this mess'_


	139. Immune

Kagome swerved to follow Itachi's aura when it swung to her right. The fog lay about in heavy swirling curtains. She tried not to let the biting chill bother her too much, but her fingers were starting to ache from holding her bow drawn for so long.

Itachi made a frustrated sound, "Genjutsu does not affect you." She wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, but she didn't respond. Best not to show all her cards right away, she'd probably already said too much. Her knowledge was the only element of surprise she had, and she needed it if worse came to worse.

In the next moment Itachi was right there in front of her, all pretense of his weird stalking dropped.

"Hello, Itachi-chan" She greeted him again, she kept her eyes on his shoulder, his cheek, his hair. She didn't want to risk looking at his eyes. Kami only knew what kind of damage she might do to him if he tried to use his dojutsu on her.


	140. Failed Diplomacy

"You know," She began as he drew a very sharp looking short sword. "I don't mind answering your questions- mostly. There really isn't any need for all of this." She would have made a sweeping gesture if her hands were not otherwise occupied.

Itachi looked doubtful, and he made a little 'Hn.' Sound.

"If your teammates kill my companion," she added as an afterthought, "You'll never get the answers to your questions."

Kagome knew the moment before he moved to strike when a particularly disturbing ripple flashed across the surface of the quiet pond that was his aura. She let her arrow loose and watched in satisfaction as it thunked neck deep into the ground at her feet and a blinding lilac barrier burst into existence.


	141. Barrier

The barrier burned through the chakra-laden fog, it hissed as it evaporated leaving clean, clear air in its wake. She would have turned to check on Zabuza's fight with Kakashi and Tenzo, but only a second after her barrier sprung to life Itachi's short sword made contact in a punishing downward stroke.

He screamed bloody murder, and Kagome felt her panic rise.

 _'I don't want anyone to die!'_ It was this thought that propelled her to call out to the boy hoping he would listen- " _Itachi!_ Drop the sword! Don't touch the barrier!"

But he didn't. Maybe he was paralyzed by her ki- or maybe he was just stubborn, but when Kagome saw smoke begin to rise from his little arms, she knew she couldn't do this.

She dropped the barrier without hesitation.


	142. Catch

Her feet ate up the short distance between her and the little boy, and she caught him before he fell to the ground. He was unconscious.

"Oh, Kami, oh no, please let him be okay" She prayed quietly as she checked him over, lowering them both gently to the dirt. His sword lay not too far from them, a melted smoking mess. It stank like hot steel. His dark eyelashes splayed across his cheeks, hot tears tracking down his face; his features were a study in an agonized grimace.

Smoke continued to rise from his arms as her power spread upwards at a steady rate, leaving molted, mangled burned flesh in its wake.


	143. One Thousand Chirping Birds

Kagome had a moment of consideration for calling for Haku, but he was helping Zabuza, and she wouldn't dare take his attention from that.

So instead she got to work, moving with quick practiced strokes of someone who attended to wounded many times before. She tore what was left of his sleeves apart, ripping them from the damaged flesh so she could have better access.

Her hands glowed pink as she lightly and carefully stopped her own powers war march across his skin. Itachi made a small sound in the back of his throat, Kagome found his pain very distressing.

"I am a horrible person" She berated herself even as she worked to reverse the damage she'd done to the Uchiha heir.

Kagome didn't get to finish. Time seemed to stop, and she stood slowly leaving Itachi's prone form on the ground at her feet when the sound of a thousand chirping birds rose into the air.


	144. Out of Reach

Kagome turned and took stock of the situation within a microsecond. There was water everywhere; Tenzo's soaked form lay prone on the ground, several hundred senbon sticking out of his limbs and torso- either unconscious or dead. She hoped with everything she had that it was the former.

Kakashi was crouched low, feet spread wide apart as if bracing himself. His headband was raised, dojutsu spinning madly. His hand held his other wrist as lightning began to arch off of him, it screeched and screamed its intent to her. Kagome thought it was the dumbest move he could have made; considering he was drenched in water- the field was drenched in water. Wasn't he supposed to be the smart one?

Across from the idiot was Zabuza who was was on his knees in the mud, several kunai embedded in his back and right arm. His bandages were a mess, and his headband had fallen around his neck. Kubikiribocho lay out of his reach, sinking into its own puddle. All three of them were very bloody.


	145. Stall

Kagome's mind raced, and her feet started forward before she could tell them too. Adrenaline carried her forward at a speed only panic and chemicals could induce- unless you were a ninja of course.

' _He's too far- I'm not going to make it! Stall! Stall!'_

" ** _Kakashi NO!"_** She snarled it so loudly that she felt like it broke something in the air- but Kakashi didn't stop, he was racing forward and he was much, much faster than Kagome.

 _'Think! Think! Oh Kami-sama STALL HIM!'_ Her mind raced faster than her feet and suddenly words were pouring from her mouth in a desperate effort-

"White Fang! Rin! Uchiha Obito! _Kanabi Bridge!"_

It worked.


	146. It's Okay

Kakashi's wide eyes turned to her, his steps faltering. He almost fell but he caught himself- but it was enough. Kagome skidded into place in front of Zabuza, she felt him rise haltingly behind her,

"Kagome-" She wished she had the time to hear what Zabuza was going to say, but at that moment a ball of lightning was screeching towards her chest.

Kakashi's wide eyes made contact with hers, one dark and unfathomable, the other red so _red_ and spinning, _spinning._ Kagome closed her eyes, arms reached out as if to embrace him.

 _'Do no more damage than we have to- let's all get out of this alive'_ She silently begged her powers.

"It's okay." And she hoped they both heard her.


	147. Sonic Boom

At the first lash of electricity, Kagome's ki broke the dam and flowed outward. There was a feeling like air pressure being displaced when the two energies mixed; it ripped outwards leaving a deafening sensation in its wake. Then the world was moving again, and the explosion of opposing powers erupted in a wake of shredding winds and flying debris. Kagome slammed backwards into Zabuza's chest and they went down in a tangle of limbs and body heat.

Kakashi went flying in a similar fashion, but with nothing to stop his acceleration he skidded across the dirt into the water. He didn't get back up.


	148. Foolish

To my reviewers: Seriously. I love you guys. Thank you so much for giving my story a chance. I haven't felt this happy in a long time, thank you so much.

* * *

Haku was there in a flash, pulling her aching body up and away from Zabuza's scorching heat. She turned to him "Are you okay?" it came out in a rush, she had many places she needed to be right now-

"Foolish girl!" He snarled at her reaching to grasp her arm. Kagome was already half way across the path to Kakashi, yelling over her shoulder;

"I'll take that as a yes!" Her feet hit the water, and by the time she reached his prone form it was up to her waist. He was face down. Kagome grabbed his wrists and it took everything in her to tread backwards, dragging his dead weight to the bank.

He wasn't breathing.

 _'Okay girl don't panic we can do this- don't panic-'_

Kagome was panicking.


	149. Breath

She took a deep steadying breath, exhaled and pulled Kakashi's mask down his face. Had this of been any other moment she might of taken the time to appreciate how handsome he was. Unfortunately the man in question was on the verge of drowning- and probably a multitude of other injuries.

One hand cradled his jaw, and tiled his face back, the other she used to pinch his nose shut. She breathed for him.

 _'We can do this-'_

She switched to pushing down on his heart, adding her healing into the mix for extra effort-

But Zabuza was there, and he didn't understand what was happening. He wrenched her from her efforts pulling her up to stand in front of him; he squeezed her upper arms in both hands. She could feel him shaking. She wasn't sure if it was in anger or something else- she didn't have time to think about it-

Kakashi was- Kakashi needed-


	150. Zabuza, Please

" _Zabuza please."_ She breathed the words out, "It's okay" She repeated her earlier words. Her hands reached up to gently cradle his forearms, somehow her hands much steadier than his.

She wasn't sure, and it was something she would spend many nights agonizing over after this was all said and done, but she thought the look in Zabuza's eyes was a little broken.

He didn't understand, she knew. These people had importance, and Zabuza didn't understand. He searched her eyes, and then… his grip on her loosened and he let go.


	151. Too Late

She fell to her knees hard at Kakashi's side, begging the universe to let him live, for there to still be time. Once again she tiled his chin up, opening his air ways and breathed for him.

Kagome wasn't sure when she started crying. Maybe she'd been crying the whole time. When Haku joined her and pressed on Kakashi's chest like she had been doing, and still he remained unresponsive, she was terrified it was too late.

"Please" She begged.


	152. There, There

Kakashi lurched to the side, water spewing from his mouth and nose and Kagome sobbed hard with relief. She grasped his sides gently, and pulled him up to sit. He looked so confused and out of it.

"Wha-" Kagome hugged him, leaning over his legs and wrapped him tight in her arms. She didn't do it on purpose- she was just so _relieved_.

"It's going to be okay, everything is okay now" She told him, Kagome felt a flash of surprise when he reached up and patted her back gently in a kind of 'there there' gesture. She leaned back and saw that he looked just as surprised as she did.


	153. Pale Skin

The moment broke as soon as she realized-

"Shit- Tenzo, Itachi! Haku please see to the mokuton user I have to-" But she was already up and making her way to Itachi's side. Zabuza was hot on her heels like an over protective guard dog- albeit a very confused one. Kagome wasn't sure if that was his reasoning at all but it was funny to think it might have been so she let the thought linger. She kind of liked it.

Itachi was pale- paler than he normally was even. His black hair fanned out around him and his breathing was shallow. When Kagome reached out to touch him, his skin was sticky with sweat, clammy, and cold.

 _'Oh no…'_

"It's going to be okay Itachi. I can fix this-" She repeated reassurances under her breath, calling up her miko ki to spill forth in a flush of healing.


	154. What Lies Beyond

Itachi took the most time. She had stopped the burns from spreading, but her ki had swarmed through his chakra pathways eating up what was offered, and the boy was on the edge of whatever lie beyond chakra exhaustion. She knew what that was- but she wouldn't think it for fear of making it real.

She kept working, pulling her wayward energy back into her body, she didn't know what to do to make something out of nothing but she thought maybe she could encourage his gates to push out more chakra- she feared the results if she couldn't get more energy into his pathways.

At some point, she became aware that Zabuza was crouched near her, with a steadying hand on her back. She felt grateful for it. On the other side of Itachi's prone form was a very pale Tenzo, and a waterlogged Kakashi. Both were watching her with intent, hopeful eyes.

"I can do this." She said into heavy air that was too full of too many emotions.


	155. Immeasurable Guilt

It wasn't working.

She was losing him.

Kagome felt hot liquid silently trailing down her cheeks, she couldn't convince his gates to do anything. They rejected the touch of her ki with vehemence. After many attempts, and rebuffs, she sat back on her heels. Her shoulders shook with the weight of what was happening, and she ground her hands into bleary, exhausted eyes. She heard Kakashi take in a sharp breath. She looked up to see Tenzo's blank eyes; shutting down- but Kakashi, Kakashi looked leagues worse. He looked broken, lost. Haunted.

 _'no.'_

 _"No."_ She leaned forward again, determined. She would find a way, she would drag him back by the tail end of his soul if she had to.

"C'mon Itachi, think of Sasuke, he's going to be so lost without his brother, he needs you- fight for him." She spoke empty words into the air, not really paying any attention. She vaguely reminded herself somewhere in the recess of her mind that Sasuke wasn't even born yet- but she needed him to fight this. She needed to give him a reason. His life would be so hard, and she felt an immeasurable guilt for the world she was attempting to drag him back into.

And then she found it.


	156. A Reason to Live

"Yes" It came out like a hiss.

Deep beyond his chakra, was a small, miniscule glimmer of spiritual ki. She probably never would've even noticed it if he hadn't been on the verge of death with no chakra to smother it- but she saw it. It was there.

She felt hope bubble up inside her chest. She closed her eyes with a sharp intake a breath,

"It's there... I just need- " She trailed off whispering the words into the world, hoping to make them real. She reached, and reached, and pulled and quickly became exasperated. It was right _there._

"Stop _fighting me_ Itachi!" and just like that, her ki was swirling around his, pulling it up to the surface like high tide, it flooded his body in the way that she knew hers existed with her-

Itachi, small and frail little boy that he was- lay before her, with childish little hands and pudgy cheeks, with long beautiful black hair and eyelashes like raven's wings and she knew everything he would be, everything he would become- she bled for him so deeply within her heart, it ached and screamed-

And his body began to glow.


	157. Kagome Knows

Kagome wasn't Kikyou. She would never be like Kikyou. She didn't even want to try for the most part. She was just Kagome, that's all she would ever be, and she had long ago accepted that she would never be the perfect model of a priestess. Kagome didn't know all the things about being a miko like Kikyou did, she would never have her aim with a bow, and Inuyasha would never love her like he had his first love- and that was okay.

But there were other things, things Kagome had that were only hers. Things that only she knew.

First and foremost, Kagome knew herself. She knew what was right and wrong, and she fought tooth and nail for what she felt was right. This would always be a part of who she was. She wasn't perfect, but she was good, she tried to do good.

Secondly, Kagome knew what her ki felt like. The way it slept beneath her skin, when it agitated with her emotions; how strongly it could react to just the right thing. It was a part of her, always with her just under the surface, poised and ready to rise.

Lastly, but certainly not least on the "List of Things that Kagome Knows", was of course, the Shikon No Tama. She had always had the innate ability to feel it, know where it was, if it was sick with taint, or glowing in purity. She understood that it existed within her in an imperfect balance with itself. The Shikon in itself was basically a very tightly compacted barrier that held both demonic ki and miko ki, two opposing forces that mixed within. Depending on who held it the balance could be tipped in either's favor, but still both managed to exist without destroying itself.

It was this knowledge that saved Itachi's life when he began to seize, and his energy pathways began to eat themselves alive.


	158. Imperfect Balance

"What's going on?" Kakashi's voice sounded panicked, but Kagome didn't hear him. Chakra was flooding his body from his gates, like white blood cells swarming to fight infection.

Carefully and as quickly as she could, she tugged and pulled at Itachi's ki just as she would with her own when she needed it tampered down. It wasn't perfect, and it didn't want to listen- it wasn't hers after all.

But it went, carefully and slowly she compacted it within his core, wound tight around itself into a little ball. It roiled, and fought her, it lashed out at the perceived threat- but purity could not harm purity, so it just left her with an uncomfortable itching sensation of something foreign where there should only be her own. Then she laid a barrier over it, and then another over that just to be sure, and it settled content to lie within its surface.

Itachi's body, now full with chakra and ki sufficiently contained, lay in an imperfect balance between the two, where chakra reigned king. Only if one knew how to look would they find the purity within this boy, but there it was, ready for him to reach out and grasp it, it would always be an imperfect balance, one or the other but Kagome felt satisfaction that it wouldn't kill him.


	159. Outside of Mental Images

She sat back on her heels again, slowly becoming aware of the world outside of mental images and flowing energies. The first thing she realized was it was dark out. How long had she been at this? Hours?

She heard the crackle of a fire somewhere behind her, and she tore her eyes away from Itachi's little self to get her bearings. He was breathing evenly, relaxed. She touched his forehead gently and nodded to herself, it was a good temperature, his clamminess all but gone.

The next thing she became aware of was Zabuza's heat and aura at her back. His aura rolled about, lapping at the sides of his boundaries, turbulent. She knew they would be having a talk later- or whatever it was he usually did to straighten himself out. Probably kill things. And with that cheerful thought she unfolded her legs and leaned back into him.

He received her bulk without complaint and even shifted slightly so she could better tuck herself into his side. Kagome let out a comforted sigh. His chest rumbled in answer.


	160. Only Child

Oddly enough, Kagome last became aware of Kakashi, sitting right in front of her- just on the other side of Itachi. She met his gaze, and he held it. She wasn't sure what was going on in his head. The mask was back up, and his forehead protector down. That left only about a quarter of his face visible. What she could see she found unreadable. So she broke the silence, hoping to glean something from his weird expression.

"He'll be okay." Kakashi didn't even twitch. It was quiet for a time and then-

"Itachi doesn't have a brother." Kagome tensed, and Zabuza shifted enough around her to grip the wrist she was using to balance herself up from around her back. She leaned farther into him, attempting to reassure without words- if that's what he was even looking for. She didn't know really, but it felt like the right thing to do.


	161. Lazy Roll and Tumble

"Oh, is that so?" She tried to sound nonchalant but she'd always been a horrid liar.

"Are you a spy?" Kagome actually laughed at that, it felt good to laugh after the day she'd had.

"If I was a spy, I don't think I'd be a very good one." Zabuza grunted his agreement, and she took a moment for herself to break eye contact with Kakashi and look up at her companion. His bandages had been replaced, he was a bit torn up, the Kunai had been removed and he sported the white bandages all the way down his arm and across his back. He wore his usual black tank top over it. The curve of his jaw that slopped into his neck moved as he brought his eyes down to catch hers.

She smiled for him. A soft slow thing, she was very tired after all. He just grunted and looked away.

Kagome felt a thread of satisfaction when his aura settled back into its usual lazy roll and tumble, like a heavy fog swirling along the ground at night.


	162. Warnings

When her eyes came back to meet Kakashi, she found him looking at Zabuza with a doubtful look. What was that about? His head tilted in an odd way, and his silver hair folded down more to create a sharp angle.

Kagome thought it was a very dog-ish thing to do. "Where are you from?" Why did everyone want to know that?

She felt Zabuza's chest rumble again- this time with a warning.

"Somewhere very far from here." She gave him the same answer she gave her companion. It rang as a half-truth.

"You have the ability to dissipate chakra when you come into contact with it." It wasn't a question this time, so she just nodded. Zabuza's hand tightened around her wrist. He didn't like this conversation.

"How do you know my teammates names?"

"Which ones?" She deflected. She didn't think it really mattered. Kakashi gave her a flat look. So she just shrugged.

Kakashi's body language looked a little aggravated. He kept moving his hands around as if trying to figure out what to do with them. It was then she realized his little orange book was missing. She snickered behind her hand at her own inner thoughts.

Poor Kakashi without his social barrier.


	163. Interesting

"Are you a civilian?" Kagome thought that was an odd question; did she seem like a ninja?

"Yes." It was Zabuza who answered for her. His tone held a note of warning. As if summoned by his master's voice, Haku wandered over to sit at Zabuza's other side. The kiri-nin used his free hand to lightly touch the top of the boys head before letting it drop back down.

"Interesting." Kakashi's eyes swept over each of them, Kagome got the feeling he wasn't talking about his question anymore. Kagome sighed, and stretched backwards like a cat arching her back until it popped to relive some tension that had built there.

"We need to talk about Itachi" She broached the subject. Kakashi's visible eye shuttered and became blank. Damn, this was gunna be hard then.


	164. Boy in Question

Tenzo came over then, and sat near his team leader. Odd how they'd all gathered around the boy in question. Kagome sighed again, some short-term plans forming in her mind, but unsure how to make them come out for the better.

"What did you do to him." It was Tenzo who asked. Kagome went to answer, but frowned instead and her brows furrowed a little bit.

"Tenzo- right? Is that what you're going by right now?" The man was stiff as a board when he nodded. Kagome smiled in the moment, even though it didn't really call for it. She sat up and clapped her hands together.

"Right then! I am Kagome- this here is Zabuza and the cute one is Haku." She didn't have to look to know Haku was probably blushing. Zabuza grunted.

"You already know our names." Kakashi said.

"Err-yea right then." She said again.

"So Itachi- what I did to him. So are you asking about during or after the battle?" She thought they'd probably want both answers but she didn't want to explain unnecessary things if they were only asking about the later.

Kakashi confirmed it was both. His gaze was as sharp as Tenzo's when she went to answer.


	165. Explination

"Itachi-chan circled around after you guys" here she gesture at them "Started you little tiff" Zabuza's aura gave a sharp spike at that, she knew she'd be paying for that comment later.

"Some things were said, but mostly it got rolling when he attempted to use a genjutsu, and of course it failed-"

"Why" Kakashi interrupted. She gave him a confused look. Hadn't they already gone over this? She swept her hand through the air, gesturing at herself,

"Immune to chakra." She elaborated. They both look stunned. She frowned, still confused. So she voiced her earlier thoughts.

"Didn't we already go over this? Do you guys want to hear what's going on or not?"

"Being immune to chakra and having the ability to dissipate it are two, very different things" Kakashi stated. Kagome's frown deepened.

"Well, no. Not really." She disagreed. "I call it 'immunity' because my ki dissipates chakra before it can make contact."

"Please continue" Tenzo said a little flatly. She had to remind herself he had the whole ROOT thing going for him and to not be too weirded out by his blankness.


	166. Turbulent

"Er- right, yea. Anyways, so I think Itachi moved to make a more direct strike after his genjutsu failed, so I shot an arrow into the ground to utilize a barrier-"

"How do you create a barrier with no seals or hand signs?" Kakashi sounded frustrated. Kagome's mood mirrored his.

"Look, if you keep interrupting me we aren't going to get anywhere with this-" Besides she could tell Zabuza's patience was quickly wearing thin with their not-so-subtle interrogation.

"Anyways," She started again. "My barrier sprung up, and I guess the barriers he must be used to are different because he just sort of barreled right into it and attempted to cut it down with his sword. My ki refracted back into him and down the metal and into his arms." She took a breath, and appreciated that fact that although both the leaf-nin looked like they had more questions, they didn't ask them.

"My ki burns through the skin of people around here- and when I realized what had happened I begged him to drop the sword but-" She trailed off, and Zabuza gave her a displeased look.

"Well, I'm not sure if he couldn't, or wouldn't, but I dropped the barrier when it became clear to me that he wasn't going to let up." Zabuza's displeased look deepened. "He had passed out, but my ki tends to keep going even after contact so I stopped as much of it as I could when I heard chidori, and well you know the rest." The men in front of her were still, with blank looks on their faces that Kagome felt very wary of. Zabuza's aura at her side had resumed its turbulent cresting.

Damn, this wasn't going well.


	167. Pressure

It was about this time that Itachi's cute little face scrunched up, and then he opened his eyes and blinked.

 _'It's dark'_ he realized. The woman from before- the one the mission revolved around was leaning towards him. She looked… concerned?

"How are you feeling Itachi-chan?" Itachi's eyes swept the area. His team was sitting here in this loose circle, so was this woman's. He sat up, but there was rush to his head made black spots appear behind his eyes. There was a pressure there, like he's practiced his sharingan too much in one day. Funny, he couldn't even remember managing to make eye contact with the woman.

"Take it easy." His team leader lightly reprimanded him.

"Hn." He wasn't an invalid, why was everyone acting like he was dying?

"I'm glad you're awake, we're just about to discuss some things you'll probably want to hear." The civilian spoke again. This wasn't exactly what Itachi had expected out of his day- let alone coming around after a battle. Sitting quietly with the enemy? One of them was a _missing-nin_ from _Kiri_. Itachi recognized he'd obviously missed something very important.


	168. Condensed

Kagome felt the stress creeping up her neck; the things she needed to say were not going to be well received by the leaf-nin. Hell, she wasn't even sure Zabuza wasn't going to be pissed. Despite the thought of everyone's ire- she had to do the right thing by Itachi. She was the one who'd dragged him into this situation; she'd make sure he was prepared for the consequences.

"I'd like to start, by offering a condensed explanation of what I am, and why that's relevant to Itachi-chan here."

Everyone's attention was locked on to her with an intensity that made her skin crawl. Even Zabuza and Haku had a sharpened edge in their gaze.

' _Right then girl, you started this you can finish it.'_

"I am what you'd call a miko- albeit not a very good one."

"There are more like you?" Kakashi breathed eye wide. Kagome couldn't help it when her attention rested on Itachi for the briefest of moments. No one missed it.


	169. Yokai

"Some here, some there." She waved the question off with a hand.

"In any case, miko have quite a few purposes in life- but I'll stick to the important ones for the sake of brevity or we'll be here all night."

"Miko, are creatures of purity. We are the answer to yokai- to create a balance within the world. Where there is dark there is light- sortof. My ki has the ability to purify, so basically anything that has an edge of tainted darkness to it will be affected. Something you ninja seem to have in spades" She added the last part as an afterthought; Kakashi seemed to be thinking of something else though.

"What is a yokai" Kagome broke her gaze form the silver haired man and let her vision wander off into the dark of the night. She could still hear the river burbling somewhere, and crickets had joined the ambience. She leaned back into Zabuza seeking his heat for reassurance. He once again shifted to accommodate her better.

She didn't want to talk about this part. She supposed there wasn't any way to avoid it now though.


	170. Heaven and Earth

"Aa," She breathed it softly into the air. Hesitant.

This only seemed to make the people around her more interested.

"Yokai are demons." She said this very softly. Her chest ached, she really didn't want to go into this half; it felt raw. She didn't want to go digging around in the feeling. She could talk about her, she didn't want to talk about them.

Zabuza's muscles coiled at her side, tense. Kagome felt a strangled sense of responsibility for him- she'd have to clarify then.

"Yokai are not like what you know demons to be here" she made a generalized sweeping gesture. She didn't want to say 'in this world' so she was doing her best to make it make sense without raising more questions. "Your 'demons'" she made quotation marks in the air "Are more like pure chakra constructs, or people just using the word without a proper understanding of what it means." Her eyes slid up to look at Zabuza then. She found him already looking at her, expression unreadable.

"Yokai, well, a true yokai as I know them are the embodiment of earth constructs" Did that make sense? She trudged forward trying to explain.

"Yokai are not inherently evil, just like humans aren't. We can do bad things, and we can take darkness into ourselves if we carry it for too long but no one is born evil. Youkai, being closer to earth spirit creatures tend to be more ruled by their baser instincts. Hunt, eat, kill. Even with the higher-bred ones there's still a base line. " Kagome cut that train of thought off, and moved forward with the subject. Best to get this over with quickly.

"My purity isn't necessarily 'good'" here she made quotation marks again. "It's just the opposite of earth nature- spirit or heaven nature. Miko ki can become tainted just like yokai ki can." Was she rambling? She felt like she was rambling.


	171. Scary Place

"We are getting off topic" She decided. She searched mentally for a moment, where was she?

"So mikos are the balance to yokai, and that's basically what our primary purpose is. We protect humans, and yokai from the tarnish that can come from negativity, from the consequences of things like greed, and bloodlust." So maybe she was taking some liberties with this explanation. Kikyou would have probably said;

'A mikos job is to purify all yokai because they are evil blah blah blah' But she wasn't Kikyou, and her world view wasn't so black and white. She had human friends, yokai friends, and hanyou friends. She even had human friends that blurred the lines into yokai now.

"You talk like demons are a common thing." Tenzo said hesitantly. Kagome felt her shoulders sag. She absolutely would not cry- right now was a totally inappropriate moment to start crying. Regardless- this conversation was scraping her nerves raw. Kakashi shifted uncomfortably as if picking up on this.

"Where I come from, they are." If that came out a little choked, it was not her fault. Besides she was doing really well right now- her eyes were only a little bit wet.

Zabuza's hand grasped her wrist again, and he squeezed, the gesture seemed very possessive to her. She looked up at him to find he was once again unreadable. She wasn't sure if he was angry- or something else. His aura continued to roll around in its confines in a disturbing way.

"That sounds like a very scary place." Haku told her with a sympathetic look. Kagome thought maybe he misunderstood her distress, but that was okay. It didn't matter.


	172. Back to the Point

"What does this have to do with me." A very perceptive Itachi spoke up for the first time. Kagome gave him a shaky smile.

"Itachi-chan" she spoke only to him, because the others be damned, this wasn't about them. It was about Itachi.

"You have the same inherent ability that I do. When you were injured during the battle, my ki came to consume a large amount of your chakra. I managed to pull it back, but the damage was done, you were on the edge of the after part of chakra depletion. I tried very hard to convince your gates to produce more, but seeing as my ki and your chakra are different enough… they don't exactly like each other."

Itachi sat very still, and very quiet. His expression showed no outward signs of being surprised- or distressed or anything really; but Kagome did note his unnatural stillness.

"You were very empty, when I noticed it. If I hadn't of… well, you probably could have gone your whole life non-the-wiser. But I had to do something. I couldn't just let you die."

"Why." His tone was flat, and it sounded off with his childish lit.

"Life is sacred, Itachi-chan." She told him. She heard Zabuza make a noise that sounded very much like a snort of derision. She ignored him.


	173. Crux

"So this brings us to the crux of the matter" She turned her attention back to the adults.

"Itachi can't return to Konoha with you just yet." With that simple statement the level of hostility rose a few degrees.

"You can't seriously expect-"

"I don't think that's really-"

"No."

Everyone started speaking all at once, and Kagome held up her hands in a placating gesture.

"Let me explain." She tried. "This is important."

"I have sealed Itachi's ki within him, as a part of mine is sealed within me." She didn't elaborate on the Shikon.

"However." She tried to convey warning in her tone, but she wasn't good at these kinds of things like Zabuza.

"It won't take very much for him to use it accidently. He could very well kill himself- or someone else. In an untrained state, ki reacts very strongly to emotions," Kagome knew this well, her first year in the Sengoku period without guidance had been like fumbling around in the dark when it came to her power.

She paused for a moment, really wanting to impress the importance of this next statement.

"How long before he attracts unwanted attention. How long before Itachi-can leaves for a mission and mysteriously disappears"


	174. Harsh Truth

"Konoha isn't Kiri" Kakashi said this a little defensively. Kagome couldn't help the snort that escaped her.

"Really. You live in Konoha, and you want to argue about how safe it is for children with interesting and dangerous abilities." Here she gave Tenzo a pointed look. "How easy would it be for him to slip into the wood work- Uchiha heir or not, he's just a boy."

The man's hand flashed towards his kunai pouch and she felt Zabuza shift for the handle of his sword in reaction to the movement.

"Maa, maa there's no need for that. I'm telling you a harsh truth; this is about Itachi, and his safety." Kagome tried to placate them; she couldn't avoid dropping the Danzo card, it was too important that they let her have this- she didn't know how else to convince them. It was basically the exact same reason she could never go to Konoha.

"I can train him, to a certain degree" She said finally. "I can't make him a master or anything, but I can make it so that slip ups are unlikely. He's a smart boy, I'm sure he'll pick it up fast."


	175. Acceptable Alternative

Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Tenzo just sat there very stiffly, eyes blank. Itachi… poor Itachi looked like he was struggling to keep his 'ninja face' on.

"This is a very difficult situation." Kagome allowed herself to feel a small tendril of relief; at least he was looking at it from another angel. That was better than nothing.

"But we can't just leave him here with you- you're a stranger, you have no loyalty to Konoha. Itachi is the Uchiha heir and that aside he has a very valuable and sought after dojutsu." Kakashi made a frustrated sound following this.

"And you travel with a _Kiri missing-nin_." Tenzo added sounding incredulous.

"If you would just come with us to Konoha-"

"No." and Zabuza's tone booked no argument, solid in its finality. Kagome leaned farther into his heat, allowing herself to relax somewhat. At least someone had her back here.

"Zabuza is right. I'm a nobody, just some civilian girl, with no village affiliation. I'd go missing faster than the last dumpling at an Akimichi party."

Kakashi snorted at her joke, but when his eyes met hers they were serious.

"I will stay behind with Itachi-chan. Tenzo will return to Konoha to report in."

"Sempai!" Tenzo sounded absolutely scandalized.

Zabuza nodded as he stood, pulling Kagome up with him.

"It is an acceptable alternative. Haku stay here." And then he was dragging her off into the trees.


	176. Livid

As soon as they broke the tree line Zabuza turned on her, swept her up and threw her over his shoulder. The next thing Kagome knew the world was a blur of colors and light- she had a sudden reminder of the space tv-shows her brother watched that depicted light speed kind of like this.

Woah- there was a thought, was the body flicker the speed of light? Crazy.

They came to a lurching stop, and Zabuza dumped her on the ground unceremoniously. He turned to her, expression stony. His brows were drawn in, and she could see the shadow of his downturned mouth behind the bandages. His hands were fists at his sides. She stood immediately, a little confused by his body language.

 _'He must be pretty angry with me.'_

When his killing intent began to leak out Kagome realized she'd made a mistake.

He wasn't angry. He was livid.


	177. Aggressive

Zabuza took an aggressive step forward, and she took one back. His aura rolled out in waves, mixing with his killing intent.

Fog spilled out onto the ground, it chilled her legs and sent a shiver down her spine. He took another step forward, and she took another back. Kagome felt very unsure here, he wouldn't actually hurt her would he?

When Inuyasha got this angry he tended to want to… oh.

Zabuza wanted a fight.


	178. Run

Kagome wasn't a ninja. She wasn't even a very good miko, and she certainly wasn't a fighter.

So when Zabuza took another step towards her, his eyes shadowed and his tainted chakra spilling out of him like an overturned tea pot and whispered a ragged

 _"Run."_

This she knew- she could do this, she turned and hightailed it out of there like the woods were on fire, or as the case may be, like she'd pissed off murderous missing-nin from Kiri.


	179. Tunnel Vision

Her breath came in ragged gasps, her chest burned for air and her legs felt like wet noodles. Kagome kept running. With only the moon filtering through the tree tops to light her way, she had to admit, she was a little freaked out.

' _How serious is he'_ It felt pretty serious. His killing intent was so think in the air- it flooded her every nerve, and even with her cheat just the knowledge of how _furious_ he was- it was enough to make fear rise in her chest, and cloud her judgement.

Zabuza's aura was _everywhere._ She couldn't pick him out in any single location because her sense of him was flooding the whole area. It only added to her panic.

Tall grass whipped at her clothing, tugging at it even as she tried to dodge her way through the thicker brush. Kagome's vision narrowed, her lungs burned.


	180. Stitch

A flash of white to her left had her distracted long enough to have a tree come out of _nowhere_. She dodged to her right, practically diving out of the way to keep herself from barreling into it. Tears of frustration began to prick at her eyes but she furiously wiped them away. She picked herself up off the ground, her kimono filthy with mud all the way up to her knees.

And she ran. She ran until there was a stitch in her side, she curled her arm into it, hoping to relieve the pressure. It didn't help.

The only sound she could hear was her own harsh breathing, and her feet beating a tattoo of panic across the ground.

 _'Zabuza'_ she thought when a particular spike in his aura went off right behind her. ' _I don't understand, Zabuza'_ She didn't have enough air in her lungs to call out to him, her mind a little to fevered to think to even do it.

Just when she thought she couldn't go any farther, when her world had narrowed to a point, when her gasps for air were making her dizzy-

He was there.


	181. One Last Time

Zabuza was a large creature. All fevered skin and sinewy muscles. She ran right into him, hard enough to knock her back onto the ground.

She looked up at him, confused, afraid. His eyes were dark, and they burned with some emotion she didn't recognize. Her arms and legs shook, but she tried to stand anyways. Her breath left her when she found herself flat on her back. A hand held her wrists above her head, and her back pressed uncomfortably into the soil beneath her.

Zabuza was _heavy._ He pinned her down and held her there. When she tried to pull her arms away, or wiggle out from underneath him he snarled at her, and she realized he was breathing just as hard as she was. She got the feeling it wasn't for the same reason. His free arm snaked down her side to grip the curve of her waist a little too tightly.

His dark black and red chakra poured down around her, and her skin began to glow in retaliation.

"Zabuza-" She tried over ragged breaths.

"You are _foolish_." He interrupted her, and the sound of his voice was the deep baritone she recognized as slipping control.

"You make nice with _enemies_ , you do not know how to _listen_ , you don't even _run properly_ , and you are going to get yourself _killed."_ He sounded so frustrated and angry she didn't know what to say. So she just stilled beneath him, and tried to calm her beating heart.

There was silence for a moment filled only by the sounds of their breathing. Kagome's ki dissipated just as his chakra retreated. She searched for words- the right thing to say- but she was so distracted by the heat of him. It had always been a source of comfort but now it just made her feel-

"You are a terrible tool." He announced suddenly, he let go of her hands and for a moment she thought that this would be the end of it; that he would walk away and she would never see him again. She reached up with her newly freed hands, to touch his skin one last time-

He didn't get up or move away. Instead he curled his fingers between the sections of bandages on his cheek, tore them away, reached for her to grasp the nape of her neck, his fingers sliding into her hair- and kissed her.

Kagome's heart beat faster.

* * *

AN: Yes, I went there. Please don't hate me.


	182. Something for Nothing

Kakashi watched the girl and the missing-nin flicker into the woods.

 _'Well that was… abrupt… and they left their little one here, they must be very confident in his skills to leave him with three enemy shinobi.'_

When he turned to his comrades he got the feeling they were thinking completely different things. Tenzo was in full-blown ROOT mode with a slack face and empty eyes; number one sign of emotional distress for that guy. Itachi looked like he was trying to keep his poise; he caught the boy's eyes for a moment.

"Thoughts?" He asked quietly. Itachi worked his jaw for a moment, chewing his words.

"She has a very valuable ability, if she were a ninja she would know to keep it close and secret. Instead she offers to teach it to me- an unknown shinobi from an unfamiliar village- for nothing in return. After we attempted to kill her teammates, and steal her away to our hidden village no less. What does she want? What does she gain?"

Kakashi didn't know how to answer that. He'd never dealt with anyone like her. Never had an enemy dragged him from the brink of death and saved his life after being the one to put him there. And Itachi- she'd saved the boy's life by giving Konoha's savant the very power they sought from her.

They already owed her their lives and she wanted to give them _more_.


	183. Serious Suggestions

"How does she _know."_ Tenzo's voice broke the silence. The man looked like the sound of his own voice startled him for a moment before he turned to look at Itachi and Kakashi.

"How does she know?" He repeated again. Another question Kakashi had no idea how to answer at all.

"A spy?" Itachi offered, but even he didn't sound very sure of the suggestion. Tenzo shook his head in the negative.

"If she was a spy, the information network required to know the things she'd said would be… astounding. But even then…" Tenzo thought of the seal on his tongue. Even if she had spies in ROOT, they'd never be able to tell her anything. The only people who knew about ROOT who could freely talk about it- was Danzo himself… maybe the council members, and maybe the Hokage. ROOT was a very, very well kept secret.

"She'd have to be freaking psychic to have that kind of knowledge." It wasn't said as a serious suggestion, and no one seemed to take it that way, engrossed into their own little worlds full of thought as they were.


	184. Expecting

"She knew other things too." Kakashi murmured sullenly. "And…" He looked up suddenly, and swung his head to look at Itachi with an almost started look on his face like he'd realized something.

"Itachi- Is your mother- Is she expecting?" Itachi's face morphed into one of confusion and concern.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with-"

"Is she?" Kakashi interrupted. He needed to know. Itachi's eyes were wide, and he felt very confused by this turn in the conversation.

"Yes" He said it quietly. "We were waiting to announce it until after…" He trailed off.

"Does anyone else know?" Kakashi prodded, Tenzo had a look of dawning on his face that he knew matched his own and the other man also turned to look at their youngest teammate.

"No, just myself and father." He whispered, Itachi was going to ask what was going on, why his captain was asking such strange questions at the moment like this, but he barreled on.

"Has she chosen a name yet?" His tone was urgent and Tenzo was giving Itachi a startled looks.

"Not exactly..." He said the words carefully, realizing his answers had importance. "We don't know the gender yet... Mother was thinking of naming it Mito if it is a girl or Sasuke for a boy."


	185. A Theory With Merit

Kakashi let go of a shaky breath, and Tenzo scrubbed a hand through his hair.

"Woah." The mokuton user exhaled. Kakashi agreed completely.

"What's this about taicho?" Itachi was worried, why were they talking about his family? Kakashi turned to him, and took another breath before letting it out in a whoosh.

"When you were unconscious, she spoke to you, encouraged you to fight while she attempted to heal you" He began, still looking shaken.

"She said… she said you needed to fight for your brother. That 'Sasuke' would be lost without you." Itachi felt like someone had dumped ice down his back.

"How could she possibly…" Itachi put his head in his hands. ' _what the…'_

Kakashi let out a huff of amusement then "Maybe your psychic theory has merit Tenzo."

Tenzo did not think it was funny, and Itachi had to agree. Were they seriously going to consider that as a viable answer?

Across from them, sitting quietly by the previously abandoned campfire, Haku snickered behind his hand.

Leaf-nin are so entertaining.


	186. Team Dynamics

When the girl finally did return, the Kiri missing-nin was carrying her. She half draped herself over his shoulder like a rag doll, her face buried in his neck hidden behind long glossy black locks. Her arms swayed with the larger man's gait. Her clothing looked ragged and filthy, there were twigs and leaves in her hair; she looked like she'd run ANBU training through the mud. Kakashi couldn't quite tell if she was asleep, but if she wasn't- he'd hazard a guess that she would be very soon. The missing-nin looked much the same as when they'd left with the exception of his torn facial bandages.

He felt his eyebrows climb into his hairline. _'What kind of a relationship do they have?'_

Tenzo seemed to startle at the sight of them. "Is she okay?" Kakashi wondered at the genuine concern in the man's voice, and then at the naiveté of the question- _wasn't it obvious?_ Even Itachi was wearing an incredulous expression. Nothing was lost on that kid.

The missing-nin, Zabuza- Kakashi remembered his name, just grunted and set her down next to the boy Haku.

The child shifted to pull her into his lap without question, and started running little hands through her hair and hum. He picked out pieces of forest debris, grooming at her until he seemed satisfied and then just resumed his soft petting and humming. Kakashi thought it seemed like a well-worn practice between the two of them.

What a weird team dynamic.


	187. Move Out

Kakashi added the final touches to his written report to give to Tenzo. Itachi had finished his last night, the over-achieving Uchiha that he was. He grinned to himself when he finished the cute little drawing of his henohenomoheji at the bottom. He rolled it up and tossed it to Tenzo without looking to see if the man caught it. He was a damn shinobi he'd better catch it.

Sensei was going to be pissed. Kakashi chuckled; he never missed an opportunity to irritate his teacher-turned Hokage. The situation couldn't be helped at the moment; Kakashi might as well get some kind of enjoyment out of it.

The miko had taken her littlest teammate off to the river to bathe, and that left his team and the mist-nin to sit around and awkwardly ignore each other.

Tenzo stood and stretched like a cat, he adjusted his hip pouch that now held their completed mission reports. They were currently south west of Konoha in the Land of Fire, he'd guess the mist team had probably been headed for the Land of Rivers when his team had intercepted them. So from here if he moved fast he could probably report to the Hokage by the end of the day.

"I'm going to move out." He told the two. Kakashi flicked two fingers at him in his 'Yo' gesture. Itachi gave him a very serious nod.

And with that he shushin-ed away.


	188. Kagome-Sensei

"Alright Itachi-chan" Kagome started as she settled in next to the boy. It was mid-morning, and she was feeling much better now that she was clean. They both sat beneath the branches of a large tree, out of the way of the glaring sun. Although it was almost winter and the nights held a chill; it was still very warm during the day in Fire country- even this late in the year.

"Before we begin I want to start with a caution."

"My chakra and ki cannot mix." He stated for her, Kagome smiled at him.

 _'Do not coo at Itachi.'_ She told herself firmly. _'It doesn't matter how cute and little and smart he is, just don't coo at him.'_

"Right- well with that out of the way I think the first step is going to be learning to suppress your chakra to a single condensed area; after you can manager that, I'll place a barrier around it so that you can practice calling and controlling your ki without accidentally mixing them. Once I feel confident in your suppression and control I'll let you try without the barrier."

"Yes, Kagome-sensei." He took her seriously.

Kagome couldn't help it, she cooed.


	189. Quality

Itachi announced that he thought his suppression ability was adequate after only about an hour. Kagome made a thoughtful noise as she looked the boy over.

"Kakashi-kun" She called, at the sound of her voice both Zabuza and Kakashi looked up. "Could you help us a minute please." Zabuza gave her a piercing look, and she returned it with a soft smile. He'd been coaching Haku through their usual morning warm-ups since the two had returned from their bath. Kagome knew they'd soon move on to the more dangerous half of practice, with flying senbon, massive sword dodging, ice spikes and mist clouds.

Kakashi ambled over. "Yo." He said flicking his fingers at her, crouching down to be at their level. His one visible eye gave her a quizzical look. She was pleased that his body language was not unfriendly. "Itachi-chan is working on condensing his chakra to a single area, but I am not overly familiar with chakra suppression so I was hoping you could take a look for us."

"It has to be secured before we can move forward" She added as an afterthought.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side in that dog-way that made Kagome think of Inuyasha when he was confused. It seemed more to convey interest when Kakashi did it.

The silver haired man lifted the head band from his eye and cracked it open. Kagome looked away hastily when the tomoe began to spin.

"ANBU quality kid." Kakashi declared.


	190. Old Times

Kakashi didn't move away after his addition to their training. He sat himself down with them and they formed a little three person circle under the tree. It was nice out, Kagome decided. This whole situation was kind of nice actually… it felt like… old times.

A spike is Zabuza's aura had her looking over at him, but he was already at war with little Haku and fog began to billow out around them, obscuring their practice from view. Occasionally a wayward senbon would come flying out trailing a line of fog in its wake. Yelps of surprise and clashing metal could be heard.

She turned back to her new boys, and noticed they both had their attention trained on the fog. "It's just practice," She reassured them. "Zabuza knows what he's doing- Haku will be fine." She added.

Kakashi gave her a strange unreadable look. "I see." Was all he said.

Kagome turned back to Itachi who was also watching her now. She smiled at him, "Ready to move on Itachi-chan?" He nodded, his hair swaying around his baby face with the motion.


	191. The Smell of Ozone

"Reaching for you ki involves meditation. Close your eyes and breathe deeply, find your center. I don't want you to tug on it when you do find it, just see if you can take a look at it. I need to place a barrier before you go messing with it." Kagome was sure he knew how to meditate; he was a clan kid after all- so she didn't bother him with coaching through the whole process. She waited until his aura smoothed out, and the ripples on his dark pond became rhythmic. She noticed Kakashi was following along with them, reaching his own meditative state.

Kagome took a moment to appreciate his aura, it was crisp like the smell of ozone after a thunderstorm, and it held a current of unrelenting power that spread out like branches of lighting across the sky. It was quite breathtaking actually. Kagome shook her head and pulled her attention back to Itachi, completely missing the strange look Kakashi gave her.


	192. Promise of Later

"Ki should feel differently from your chakra. I can't tell you what the difference will be since I don't have chakra, and the only chakra I have had contact with on a daily basis is Zabuza's, and his is, well… different." She tried to coach quietly but kind of ended up trailing off.

 _'Focus Kagome.'_ She told herself, now was not the time to be distracted by thoughts of a guy. She felt her eyes begin to slide over towards said guy when she caught herself. She sighed inwardly. _'Later.'_ She promised herself.

Both the boys in their little circle opened their eyes to give her looks of utter disbelief.

"Everything has chakra" Itachi said. Kakashi was looking at her with renewed interest, doing his little head-tilt.

"Most things." She agreed- she didn't want to get into that right now.


	193. Guidance

It was late into the afternoon when Itachi finally made a noise of frustration.

"It's not there." Kagome got the sense that he was… pouting. She was sure he wasn't used to things not coming to him easily. This might be the first thing he's had to really work for training wise in a while.

Kakashi was sprawled out in the grass next to her, sound asleep. Haku had joined Itachi in meditation after they had all taken a break for lunch, and Zabuza had wandered off into the woods a few hours ago.

Haku opened his eyes to look at Itachi after the declaration.

"It is." Kagome promised the boy. He made a face, and she just smiled reassuringly at him. "It will come to you, it's just hard to look for because you… don't know what it… feels like." Kagome frowned, having a derailing thought in the middle of talking was a weird sensation, but there it was.

Kakashi sat up, apparently not asleep at all- and there was the head-tilt.

Kagome wasn't paying attention, too deep in thought remembering something Zabuza had said to her, under the awning of a travelers rest.

 _"Sometimes, with younger children you can coax them into realizing their chakra with the guidance of your own."_

Kagome took a breath, "Oh." She said mostly to herself.


	194. Maa, Maa

Kagome finished layering the barrier securely over where Itachi had his chakra coiled inside his stomach gate.

"There." She said giving his tummy an unnecessary pat. His face took on a strained quality, and she giggled to herself. Damn, he was just so adorable. She could really fall in love with this kid.

"Now," she said, folding herself back into a sitting position across from him. Kakashi had moved back into his previous spot within the circle, and they all adjusted slightly to make room for little Haku.

Kagome held out her hands to Itachi, palm up. "Lay your hands in mine." She instructed. He did, and she took a moment to marvel at how small they were. Kagome called up her ki, and as soon as it began to glow it's lilac color Itachi snatch his hands back and Kakashi flinched away.

"Maa, Maa" She tried to sooth, "It's alright, it's only healing ki, and you chakra is tucked away, there's nothing to attack." She turned to Kakashi then and gave him a once over. She wasn't sure what to say to him- he wasn't a child, he was only a few years younger than her. So she just smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way instead.

His face was covered by the mask, but Kagome got the impression he was blushing when he looked away.


	195. That's Probably a Bad Idea

Itachi replaced his hands, and Kagome tugged on her ki slower this time, it rose languidly to her call, and she allowed it to stroke the little hands in her own. Itachi took in a sharp breath, and Kakashi remained tense at her side, slouching forward as if to get a better look.

When his hand reached up for his forehead protector Kagome stopped him.

"Don't." She said, and his gaze slid to hers reproachfully. "I'm not sure what affect our ki would have on the sharingan, but I really don't want to risk it- especially with you sitting right next to me." And he was sitting awfully close she realized, what was up with that?

"Aa." He said and let his hand drop.


	196. Contradictory

"It's really very pretty, isn't it." Haku interjected looking at their hands. Kagome smiled at him, he was such a sweet boy.

"Itachi-chan" She called his attention back to her. "What does it feel like?" She tried to coach him into making his own conclusions.

The little raven haired, dark eyed child took in another sharp breath before visibly relaxing. His eyes slid shut.

"Its… contradictory" He said finally. Que Kakashi's head tilt. He even added a little "hmm?" sound this time.

"It's warm… but chilled. It glides smoothly, but it feels rough…" He continued sounding quizzical. "It feels… safe, but sharp like a warning." He finished. Kagome nodded with bright eyes and a big smile.

"Yes." She agreed wistfully.

"Interesting." Kakashi added, his hands twitched like he also wanted to know, but he stilled himself.

Haku was practically beaming.


	197. Awe

"Now, look within yourself, where it is quiet and still, and tell me what you see." It was silent for some time, and the touch of Kagome's ki ebbed and flowed across the surface of Itachi's skin like water.

Itachi opened his eyes with a vicious expression of victory plastered all over his face, but as soon as the dark pools landed on her his face slammed into a stunned expression. His eyes became impossibly wide and his mouth dropped open. His eyes darted around, looking from her, to Kakashi, to Haku, and then even out into the woods where she knew Zabuza was prowling around for dinner.

Kagome smiled; she was the only other person here who could see what he was seeing for the first time- probably the only other person in this entire world.

" _What is this?"_ She'd never heard a child sound more awed.


	198. Echo of a Soul

"Auras" She provided. Kagome's expression turned whimsical, "Beautiful aren't they." She added. Itachi said nothing for a while, just slowly examined each of them in turn.

"What's an aura?" Kakashi asked sounding curious. "I'm unsure how to describe it." Itachi responded with his particular speech, sounding distracted.

"Sunlight on grass" He said to her before his eyes slid over to Kakashi "Ozone and thunderstorms" and then to Haku "The first quiet snowfall of winter"

"What?" Kakashi asked, confused. It sounded like the kid was reciting poetry or something.

"What you are seeing are auras" Kagome told Itachi again. "They are the echo of a person's soul, each aura will tell you a story about them, some are made of tragedy, some of great loss, and some of great love." She told him. "I've noticed since coming here that many auras speak of an elemental nature as well."

Itachi looked awed. "Souls?" Kagome nodded.

She had never felt so proud of anyone in her life.


	199. Genuine

"Auras can be a great tool for you, they can easily change with a person's mood, and it's easy to pick out intention with them. The difference between someone who wants to do you harm and someone who is friendly is very noticeable." He nodded diligently, "You are very genuine." He told her, as if just realizing it for the first time. Kagome knew how he felt; it was easy to trust someone when you could see the truth of it in their soul.

Kakashi turned to look at her too, as if trying to see what Itachi could see. He made a weird sound in the back of his throat.

"Kakashi-kun, could you do me a favor and let out some killing intent, I want Itachi to see what it looks like." Kakashi looked very unsure with her request, See killing intent? That's crazy, you can't _see_ killing intent.

"Please" She added. He rolled his shoulders then, still looking hesitant.


	200. In Which Kakashi is Confused

"Alright" Kakashi conceded after a minute, and then his aura was spiking up and lighting was flashing bright and violent, it burned across the surface of his aura.

Itachi's skin began to glow at the same time hers did. "Aa, that's enough." She told him, and just like that he went back to lazy thunderclouds. "Your ki will usually act automatically to rebuff killing intent as it is chakra based-" She started to tell him but they both became distracted.

Kagome and Itachi snapped to look out into the woods at the same time. "Oh, he didn't like that much." Kagome realized, Itachi made a sound of agreement.

"He's coming this way" He added. Kakashi's frown deepened, creating shadows on his mask. Were they talking about Zabuza? He couldn't even sense the missing-nin.

"I see how you can read him now, even when he says so little." Itachi told her. Kagome giggled, "Aa" She agreed with humor.

Kakashi just looked confused.

* * *

AN: In honor of my 200th chapter, I would once again like to thank my wonderful reviewers! Your kind words of praise and encouragement have meant so much to me while I've been writing this, and I feel so excited every time I put out something new for you. KEdakumi, KuroKat013, KioshiUshima, dxlmao, Thornado, and UrieNanashi- You guys are my favorite. Thanks so much for sticking with me, it means the world to me. 3 


	201. Training Tool

"Don't pull away yet" Kagome told Itachi as Zabuza approached at body-flicker speeds. She didn't know what the consequences of breaking her guiding ki from his would be but she didn't really want to test it. She grasped his smaller hands in hers just in case he tried to pull away on reflex.

It turned out to be unnecessary when Zabuza was suddenly at her side, and the only one who flinched towards a weapon pouch was Kakashi. Kagome had a thought that it was a little odd, but had to remind herself that this Kakashi was younger than the one she came to know on black and white pages.

"It's alright," Kagome told him looking up into dark eyes. She smiled for him. "Just a training tool." She elaborated. He grunted, and Kagome was rewarded when his aura smoothed back out into rolling billows of fog.

"Fascinating" Itachi breathed looking up at the man. Zabuza gave him a disdainful look, and his eyes flickered once from their clasped hands, and then to Kagome's eyes before he turned and walked away.


	202. Tired, but Satisfied

"I think that's enough for today." And it was, the sun was already setting, the shadows they cast were long.

"Itachi-chan, I want you to try to grasp your ki, and swirl it back into the barriers." Itachi nodded. He closed his eyes, and after a few minutes of fruitless effort he said,

"It is difficult. It does not want to obey." Kagome made a thoughtful noise. "I find it helps to use a gentle touch. At least with mine- yours might be different."

"I will try sensei." It worked for a while, it was a slow, laborious effort but his ki began to recede inward. Kagome helped him along a little bit with light pushes and small tugs here and there when bits tried to escape into his chakra coils. Finally, after quite some time Kagome nodded her accent.

"Very good." She praised. Then she solidified the barrier that contained his ki to keep it separated. Now that he'd made contact and was aware his ki was there, his ability to see auras would always be awake- it didn't take active use of ki to see them after all.

She let go of his hands, and he dropped them into his lap, looking tired but satisfied.

"Don't play around with it without supervision." She told him seriously. "Yes sensei." He agreed, and with that, Kagome released the barrier around his chakra, and it filtered back through his pathways.

Itachi made a weird noise.

"It feels… uncomfortable." Kagome looked him over carefully, making sure there wasn't any spillage.

"It probably will for a while. I'd be more surprised if it didn't honestly." She told him. He nodded, and continued to look around at the world with new eyes. She stood and stretched at the same time Kakashi did.

"Well that was interesting." He said. Kagome laughed, he'd looked totally lost the majority of the day.

Haku reached out to grasp her hand, "Let's get something to eat" and he was tugging her towards Zabuza who was skinning some rabbits in a very bloody fashion.


	203. Sleep

Kagome was tired and it was late. She couldn't remember a when she wasn't exhausted by the end of the day; life here just seemed to coalesce like that. She was okay with it though, it was… comfortable.

She wandered over to Zabuza, who was leaning against a tree, his sword stabbed into the earth behind him. He had one knee up so he could lean his arm on it, and the other outstretched in that familiar relaxed male pose. She hesitated only for a moment; she always slept near Zabuza at night but… she wasn't sure if something had changed now. When he cracked open an eye to give her a flat look, she huffed, feeling silly with herself, and made her way to his side. She tucked herself into him and leaned into the heat of his skin. The arm that wasn't leaning against his knee came up to idly fan his fingers through her hair.

He didn't look at her, but the fog of his aura thickened and darkened in a way she couldn't really identify- but he wasn't angry, so she just let it go. Kagome became tired enough at some point to lay down in his lap, and he adjusted to accommodate for her. When Haku joined them to lay tucked into her side, she was well and truly asleep.


	204. Hold the Fort

Morning found him reading through three scrolls instead of debriefing three shinobi. At first he was concerned, the battle did not go well for his leaf-nin. But the more he read, the more incredulous he became; until finally he set the reports down on his desk, folded his hands on top of them and looked at the only remaining member of the fetch team he'd sent out.

It took all of Tenzo's willpower not to fidget. Minato was a kind man, his hair was a bright cheerful yellow, he had a soft voice, and trustworthy blue eyes. However, Minato was also a powerful shinobi, he was not stupid, and he was not someone you wanted to get in the way of.

"You're joking." He finally said in that soft tone. Tenzo cleared his throat. "I'm afraid not Hokage-sama."

Minato made a strangled noise. "I swear that boy…" he trailed off.

"Did you discover the source of her knowledge" He asked suddenly. Tenzo's fingers twitched. He absolutely would not fidget.

"No, Hokage-sama." Minato rolled out Kakashi's report again to read over his personal musings at the bottom.

"Psychic. Really. That's just- I don't even-" He put the report back down. "What." He finished, even though he hadn't really said anything to begin with.

"Exactly, Hokage-sama." Tenzo wholeheartedly agreed with Minato's assessment of the situation.

Minato stood suddenly; his chair slid out from under him and made a harsh scraping sound against the floor. He came around the front of his desk to stand next to Tenzo.

"Right." He said with a tone of finality, and for a moment Tenzo was relieved that the man had found a solution to the situation- but his hope was quickly crushed under the heel of his bright eyed and bushy tailed Hokage.

"Hold the fort, I'll be back." He said, and then he hiraishin-ed away, leaving Tenzo with an empty office.


	205. Casual As You Please

Kakashi settled down at her side, and Itachi took his place in front of her. She was sure Haku would join them after his practice, like the day before. It was cooler out today than it was yesterday, so instead of sitting under the boughs of a tree they found a nice sunny spot atop an outcropping of rock that overlooked the river.

Kagome watched as both Itachi and Kakashi closed their eyes to find their center. She felt a bit humored by Kakashi's continued presence during her lessons with Itachi, but he was a curious guy, and he didn't interrupt too much. Plus he had that nice ozone smell thing going for him so she didn't really mind.

Itachi was a quick study with his chakra, like insanely quick which was shown after five minutes when he had his chakra coiled tight and ready to go. She touched her finger tips to his belly and sealed the gate he held it in with a barrier.

"Good job that was fast." Itachi looked uncomfortable with the praise, like it was unusual for him to receive it. "Hn." Was all he said.

Kakashi had followed suit and buckled his chakra down as well. She gave him a grin at that, and he just looked away casual as you please. She laughed at their unspoken conversation.


	206. Nobody Panic

"Alright, let's get started" she held out her hands for Itachi and he took them without hesitation. Within fifteen minutes, and a reasonable amount of Kagome's guidance Itachi's ki was flowing beneath his skin like a calm river.

Kagome confirmed the presence of his ki within his aura, when his dark pond was suddenly lit up with moon light, showing depths that had previously been hidden.

"It feels…" Itachi paused, looking for the words he needed "right." He finished. He made a frustrated sound at his lack of articulation. Kagome understood what he meant though.

"Yes," She said kindly, softly.

Itachi made a strange noise then, somewhere between surprise and alarm when his eye swung to look at Kakashi. Kagome frowned "What's wrong?" But before he could answer she felt it too.

There was a strange aura attached to Kakashi's kunai pack. It was bright with intent, not violent, but not exactly friendly either.

"Nobody panic!" She cried, gripping Itachi's hands tightly-


	207. Hell in a handbasket

The moment Namikaze Minato appeared out of nowhere, everything went to hell.

Zabuza appeared at her side gripping her upper arm and hoisting her up- but because she held Itachi tight, terrified to let go of her grip on his ki for fear that he'd lose control- he came with her.

He held Kubikiribocho in a defensive posture and shoved the duo behind him. Kakashi had stood up as well and was brandishing a kunai before he even knew what the threat was.

"Sensei-" Both Itachi and Kakashi said at the same time, speaking to two different people. Zabuza snarled at a blond haired man who was a stranger to him. Haku was there a split second later at Zabuza's side, mirroring his masters stance and shielding Kagome and Itachi from the threat.

If it hadn't been for Kakashi, a fight might have broken out, but the guy was smart and made the right move.

He stepped around his Hokage and moved to stand next to Kagome and Itachi. A silent show of faith.

Kagome's attention though, was solely on Itachi. She felt the tug on her ki before he cried out.

 _"Sensei!"_ He was distressed, his control had slipped, his ki was too new to him and in the moment where there was a perceived danger he'd activated his dojutsu on reflex.


	208. Weeping Purity

"Everyone who has chakra coils needs to back up _now!"_ Kagome screamed. Haku was away in a flash, Zabuza turned to see her, took one look at the boy and was gone right along with him. Kakashi and Minato stayed. Minato was reaching for Itachi, as if to pull him away from the strange girl who held him in a vice grip.

"Kakashi!" Kagome pleaded with him, still he looked hesitant. "Kakashi get your idiot teacher out of here I'll take care of Itachi!" He nodded to her and then he was flash-stepping into the stunned Hokage's space and yanking him away.

"We need to move sensei!" And just like that Minato was leaping away with the silver haired man to a safe distance.

Kagome turned her full attention to the little boy, where he held both their hands to his eyes. Ki was visibly seeping from between their fingertips and spilling down his cheeks. It began to rise off of their bodies, creating a dome in the air bright and hot in its intensity around them.

In his panic he had tugged on her ki as well, and she could feel it flowing in the wrong direction towards his eyes.

She ebbed the movement immediately, but still his own ki swirled through the chakra pathways that controlled his sharingan.


	209. A Pure Sharingan

"Itachi-chan" She spoke softly to him, and slowly pulled him into her lap from their awkward sprawl on the ground. "Itachi-chan it's going to be okay, we can fix this." She soothed. Gently she pulled their intertwined hands away from his eyes, and when he opened them it took her breath away.

His eyes were entirely white, the tomoe that spun in rapid circles were lilac. Kagome felt his pure ki trying to grasp at her mind looking for a foot hold to take effect, but purity could not harm purity. She shuddered to think what kind of damage this could do to a ninja, or a demon.

Lilac fire burst into existence when his eye had opened, it swirled around them, circling the domes shape and filling it, it didn't harm her or Itachi, but she was glad their friends had moved to a safe distance.


	210. Only Human

"It's alright" She soothed again. "Walk me through the steps to deactivate the sharingan." If he said it out loud, it could help ground him. His little arms were trembling in hers, and she rubbed slow circles into the back of his hands.

"Recede the chakra" He voice shook a little, but gained steadiness as he spoke. "Pull it back into the coils, away from the eyes" He made a frustrated sound then. Kagome understood, because ki was not chakra, and he struggled to control it.

"Maa, maa, sensei is here, she knows what to do, let me guide you." She lightly grasped at his ki, pulling it away in wisps and slowly coaxing it back into the dual barriers she had set up for him on that first night. The tomoe in his eyes became sluggish, spinning in lazy circles and as she pulled the last of the ki away, they bled into their normal inky color.

The dome fell around them and the fire wisped into nothing.

"Aa," She said, pulling the boy into her arms and petting the back of his head. "You did so well Itachi-chan" and if Itachi cried silently, she never spoke a word of it; because to a little boy who had always prided himself on control and quick understanding- that had been a terrifying experience.


	211. Hindsight

In hindsight, Minato was aware that he'd made a rash decision. He'd been concerned about his student and the littlest Uchiha heir- and well, sometimes it escaped him that just because he _could_ teleport, didn't necessarily mean he _should._ Plus he hadn't expected Kakashi to be sitting right next to the girl, this was only a tentative truce right?

The moment he'd arrived, the squad of people had blurred into motion- which he had expected, any good squad worth their salt reacted quickly to a change in situation. What he hadn't expected was the way they all surrounded the girl. Like she was the most precious member of the group, even Kakashi had stepped to her side, the bulk of the two men, and one child in front of him blocking her and the Uchiha from view.

 _"_ Sensei!" Well it had been a long while since Kakashi had called him that- but it was the Uchiha who had his attention, the boy sounded distressed. Which was an unusual character development from his experiences dealing with the boy; he'd always seemed so calm and collected.


	212. Squad Leader

"Everyone who has chakra coils needs to back up _now_!" The girl was screaming to be heard over chaos. The boy with senbon in his hands didn't even hesitate at the command and he flickered away immediately. Perhaps this girl was their squad leader? He had assumed the missing-nin would be.

The said Kiri missing-nin who been leaking killing intent in his direction turned to look at her with sharp eyes. His body adjusted enough that Minato could see the two behind them.

Minato froze, he was a good Hokage, and he'd been in many battles in his life time- but the energy that had been titled 'ki' in his reports, pouring from an Uchiha's eyes? That was new. What the hell was this?

The feeling of a threatening energy he didn't understand and had no previous contact with before shivered up his spine.

 _'Danger!'_ his instincts screamed at him.

The missing-nin flashed away then too. _'She's squad leader then'_ he dimly made the conclusion in his mind somewhere.


	213. Absolute Faith

Minato took an unconscious step forward, his eyes locked on the Uchiha. This was bad- he needed to get him away from here. The repercussions would be monstrous if-

"Kakashi!" Her tone was so familiar as she addressed his student. He felt like he was missing an important piece of the puzzle here…

"Kakashi get your idiot teacher out of here I'll take care of Itachi!"

' _What? Kakashi isn't seriously about to defer to this woman-'_ He was wrong. Kakashi stepped into his space and grasped the collar of his Hokage robes; pulling and tugging him backwards.

"We need to move sensei!" His voice was urgent, pleading. And then Minato understood, this girl had gifted the Uchiha with the same powers she possessed, and he was losing control. She was the only one with enough experience to get the situation back in hand.

He leapt backwards far enough to be out of the flash zone but close enough to see and hear. Kakashi remained at his side, and he gave the boy a sideways glance.

"She can handle it." Kakashi told him, and the absolute faith in his voice floored him. 'W _ho is this girl?'_


	214. Tension

A barrier rose into the air- with no hand signs or seals anywhere- just like that. Minato was so confused. He hands twitched at the feeling of their combined power sifting through the air. It made his skin feel hot and uncomfortable made him itch with tension. Beside him Kakashi shifted, raised his arms hesitantly, and then shoved them into his pockets.

The woman huddled close with the Uchiha, pulling and tugging him into contact with her body. Her hands fluttered about him in a very motherly fashion.

"Itachi-chan" She spoke to him, and Minato thought she had a nice, soft voice. "Itachi-chan it's going to be okay, we can fix this."

Fire born of the same power that radiated all around the field burst into existence, Kakashi and Minato took another instinctive step backwards.

"Woah" Kakashi breathed. "What is that?" Minato asked him. Kakashi turned his one good eye to him "I don't know." Was his response, but he kept his eyes trained on the pair.


	215. Compromised

"Maa, Maa, sensei is here, she knows what to do, let me guide you." Minato felt a flash of nostalgia at the words. He'd said something similar on more than one occasion to his own students, with the same sincerity and kindness with which this girl said it. Minato believed her.

When the dome fell, and the strange fire dissipated into nothing, all that was left was the woman, who cradled the Uchiha prodigy like the little boy he was. She rocked him gently, and showed no signs of letting go. Oddly enough, the Uchiha showed no signs of wanting her to.

"You did so well, Itachi-chan." She told him, sounding for all the world like she really was his mother. Minato made his way back up the slope to the outcropping of rock where they sat together. Kakashi followed in his wake. The missing-nin arrived in a flash; a sentinel at the woman's side.

Minato saw the man reach down and give her shoulder the briefest touch of reassurance, or maybe thanks. Minato wasn't sure. When she looked up at the Kiri-nin, and graced the man with a small private smile, Minato knew the truth.

 _'She's compromised.'_


	216. Familiar

Kakashi stepped around him again to crouch down at the woman's side. Minato was struck with the way he behaved so familiarly with the girl. It had been a while since he'd seen the kid come out of his shell and willingly enter into someone else's space. Not since… well.

"Yo." He told her, and she gave him a shaky smile, the Uchiha pulled himself from her and straightened himself out.

"Alright there, Itachi?" Minato asked the boy. He turned and bowed low "Yes, Hokage-sama."

The woman stood, and brushed off her kimono as if nothing more had happened than she'd fallen into the dirt and picked herself back up. When she looked up at him, and his blue eyes met her equally blue eyes; he felt a sliver of fear crawl down his spine. She looked livid.

 _'Oh shit.'_


	217. Scolding

"Kagome." The missing-nin only spoke her name, but she heard the warning for what it was. So she reached out, and grazed her fingers along his arm.

 _'It'll be alright.'_ The gesture told him. He held her eyes for a moment, before he nodded his understanding.

Kagome's hands shook as she approached the Hokage of Konoha. Not with fear, but with anger.

 _'How dare he.'_ Her feet hit the ground harder than necessary as she approached, and she stopped just in front of him holding his crystal clear blue gaze. Kakashi took a nervous step away from the two. Best not to get involved in that.

"You." She said jabbing a finger into the man's chest. He didn't look affronted, just stunned by her invasion of his personal space.

"I don't care if you are the Hokage of Konoha," She continued to jab her finger at his person, and he saw crackles of energy lance through her hair like electricity. Minato stiffened, was she threatening him?

No… that wasn't right, her tone was more… scolding.


	218. Subjugation

"I don't care if you can do fancy teleportation crap, I don't care that you mean well, or what your motives were to make such a _stupid_ decision while I was _right in the middle of a very delicate and dangerous training session"_ Her tone became more scathing, and Minato took a step back but she followed him forward, "You could have _hurt_ someone Minato" She told him, and the use of his name so boldly had him working his jaw to find the right words to stop her tirade. She seemed a lot like Kushina right now, only with more words and less punching.

"This is _my pack."_ She snarled at him, and Minato could help but think her wording was off. Pack? Not squad or family? Who refers to a group of people as pack?

"Itachi-chan is in _my care."_ Her voice was getting louder, bordering on a screech. He flinched away from her.

"A-Aa-" He tried to say something, but she wasn't done, she dissolved into incoherent angry words that didn't quite fit together. Dear Kami-sama this woman was scary.

"You- _you_ \- how _dare you-"_ Her arms were shaking, her hands balled into fists and for a second he was so sure she was going to punch him-

She stomped her foot down hard, electric sparks of ki went flying off her body in an impressive display of angry power-

"You can't just come here Minato- you are a stranger to _my_ pack- you _could_ have- this _could_ have-"

And then she did scream at him-

" ** _Sit Boy!_** "

So he did, immediately.


	219. Betrayal

Kagome deflated instantly at the sight of this powerful man sitting on the ground in front of her. He looked up at her with wide eyes and tense body language.

She hadn't meant to say the words. They had just... come out. Her chest ached. She brought a hand up to rub over her heart where it seemed to be beating too fast. She wanted to cry- because this really sucked. She felt for the people around her, and she cared about them so deeply; but this man in front of her was not Inuyasha. Itachi was not Shippo, Haku was not Rin, and Zabuza… well, Zabuza would never be anyone but himself, and she was deeply grateful for at least that much.

She felt somehow like she'd betrayed them.


	220. Spirited Away

So she sat heavily to the ground in front of the legend come to life. "Aa, I'm- I'm sorry." She told him. If it was possible his eyes became wider, his hands fluttered about in the air, aimless.

"W-wait no- please don't cry-" He looked like he might panic, and Kagome hadn't even realized she was crying. _'Stupid.'_ She told herself. She scrubbed at her face with her forearms to try and clear away the pain in her chest and the tears from her eyes. It didn't help.

"Kagome?" Kakashi's voice from somewhere behind her, followed by a disgruntled sound- Zabuza, and then she was being lifted again, and thrown over a shoulder like a sack of rice. Definitely Zabuza.

"Enough." He said, and his tone was final. Before her brain could catch up with what was happening, Zabuza was spiriting her away from the figures in the clearing, leaving confusion in their wake.


	221. Warm Hands and Ocean Currents

Zabuza crouched low onto the ground and settled himself in the dirt. He slid Kagome from her unceremonious perch on his shoulder; his hands gripped the curve of her waist and moved her to sit with him. Her knees hit the ground, her legs straddling his hips, and she pressed herself forward into him. She reached out a shaky hand to curl around his neck, sliding her fingers into his hair. She laid her forehead on his shoulder and took a moment to just _breathe._

She struggled to get some semblance of control over herself, but the waves of homesickness for a place that was impossible for her to ever return- for people she could never see again seemed to wash over her like ocean currents. Kagome let herself relax into Zabuza's familiar body heat. It was quiet and cool in the forested area he'd brought her too, and it seemed to soothe her frazzled nerves a little bit.

Mood swings really take it out of you.


	222. It All Comes Out

They sat there quietly for a while. Zabuza's hand had reached into her hair at some point to mirror her own grip on him. He made a low rumbling sound that came from his chest.

"Tell me." He said.

So, she did.

"I used to travel" She began, speaking into the crook of his neck. "I… broke something. Something important that many people lusted after. It was my responsibility to put it back together." The words just seemed to tumble out, even though she hadn't spoken a word of it in over a year.

"It was a dangerous place to be, a dangerous time- but I had… friends, people who came together to fight a common enemy." And as her story grew in length, Kagome felt a little bit better, a little bit lighter. If the details ever seemed vague, or she cut off at certain moments he never complained, and listened to what she had to say in silence.


	223. Keeps

"And when it was all over, after years of battles and death- when Naraku was dead in the ground, I- I left." He shifted for the first time here, the hand at her neck sliding down to sit at the small of her back. "I had to return to… where I was originally from- and once I was gone, the way was cut off and I couldn't return."

He said nothing when she stopped, but his hand on her back ran the length of her spine in a smooth upward stroke. It made her shiver- made her feel… something.

"Then I came here." She added pulling away from his shoulder to look at him. His eyes were as dark as they always were, but they held an emotion she couldn't place. The bandages he used to wrap his face ran over his cheekbones and over the bridge of his nose. It tied together over one ear just underneath his crooked headband.

Kagome felt a rush of gratitude for this man. Ever since she had come to this place, he had always been with her. He never left her behind. The heat of his skin, the shape of his face, the way his body language was always so languid like it belonged no matter what he was doing. It was all familiar to her in a way she wasn't sure she'd be able to give up.

It was in this moment that she realized she loved him.


	224. Knowing Smile

Kagome bowed low to the man in front of her. "I'm sorry for my earlier rudeness." She told him. Minato just laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head with a hand.

"It's alright, no need to apologize." He told her. "I probably deserved a good chewing out." His smile was bright, and genuine. Kagome liked this man, or at least what she could tell about him so far. He reminded her a little of herself.

Kakashi had stood to greet her along with Minato when the two of them had made their way back to their river camp. Haku had just flashed her a knowing smile- he was young, but he knew his two guardians and he was a sharp kid.

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets his eyes landing anywhere but on her. "Everything alright now?" He asked. Kagome just smiled, "Yes, sorry about that." When she apologized this time, it felt more like she was saying it to Inuyasha's memory, but she'd probably keep that to herself.


	225. Waylaid

Itachi sat quietly with Haku at the river's edge. He watch from the corner of his eye as his new sensei chatted with his squad leader, and his Hokage. The new challenge this woman offered him perplexed him to no end. The possibilities this power held if he could only learn to control it… It wasn't anything like chakra, and where chakra came as naturally to him as breathing, ki unfortunately did not.

Kagome-sensei was patient with him. Much more tolerant than his father had ever been during practice, and when it came to this strange new ability he was grateful for the change in teaching styles. He wondered about his father then, and his mother. Had they been told his mission was waylaid? He had been due back days ago. Knowing father, he probably hadn't even noticed his absence, but mother…

Itachi wondered how he was going to explain this to the Uchiha family heads. He didn't think father would be pleased to know some unknown civilian woman had taken up training him, let alone the gift she'd given him that everyone had little to no understanding of.

"Do you want to spar?" The boy next to him asked suddenly. Itachi looked over at him. He was young, and Itachi knew he was definitely a boy from the words Kagome-sensei had used to address him, but he was the most beautifully feminine male Itachi had ever met.

He nodded; maybe it would take his mind off his family for a while, and he was eager to use his new aura ability in battle. "Rules?" He asked. Haku looked thoughtful for a moment. "How about ninjutsu and taijutsu only, no bloodline limits or genjutsu."

Itachi stood, and Haku stood with him. "It is agreeable" he told the younger boy, and they flashed to the other side of the river away from non-participants.


	226. Ninja Kids

Kagome looked up at the sound of metal on metal, and her eyes found Haku and Itachi playing around across the clearing on the other side of the river. Well- at least playing around by ninja standards. Itachi made some lightning-fast hand seals and spewed out a massive ball of fire- to which Haku countered with a wall of water.

She huffed in amusement, ninja kids.


	227. Marry Me Sesshoumaru-sama

"Kagome-san, I'd like to ask you some questions if I may." Minato asked her. She felt Zabuza's aura spike in irritation from where he had wandered over to watch the boys do their... play fighting or whatever they called it. Kagome let her eyes wander over to said ninja for a moment, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach. She held in a sigh.

' _Good job Kagome, let's just fall for all the emotionally unresponsive ones, yea- that's a great idea. After this if we ever see Sesshoumaru again we can just waltz up to him and profess undying love.'_

She snorted at her own joke, and left her thoughts to return to Minato's questions.

"Uhm- alright, I can't promise I'll answer everything-" Here her eyes flickered over the Kakashi. She didn't want to offend the guy, but she'd also rather talk to the Hokage alone. He seemed to understand, gave her a mock salute- "I'll go find something for lunch." And he sauntered off looking for all the world like he was half asleep on his feet- or board out of his mind.

"Shall we go for a walk?" She asked the blond man. He smiled a her, and slid his arms into the sleeves of his white Hokage's robes.


	228. Hilarious Leaf-Nin Theories

They walked along the inside edge of the trees, far enough to feel like privacy but Kagome knew it was probably moot. Ninja had excellent hearing when they wanted. So she tried to steer them a little further away before she actually started talking, Minato seemed to understand and walked beside her seemingly unconcerned.

"What did you want to ask?" Kagome got the conversation started after a while. Minato gave her a sidelong glance, his eyes sharp with intellect.

"What are your intentions with the young Uchiha." Kagome gave a huff at that. "Itachi is my responsibility." She told him "I awakened his ki in order to save his life- he is much too important for me not to- and even then I would have done everything I could, he's only a child, and all life is sacred."

Minato's hands fluttered from his sleeves, and he turned his head fully to look at her. "Why is he important?" Kagome gave the man a strange look, but she knew what he was getting at. Haku had told her of the hilarious theory the leaf-nin had come up with, and she had decided she wouldn't contest or verify it, she'd let them make their own conclusions. There were things she needed to tell this man, not everything of course- but she'd be damned if she didn't do something at least.


	229. What I Can Say

"You mean aside from the fact that he's the Uchiha heir and the prodigy of his generation?" Minato's eyes narrowed at her, and he stopped walking. She stopped with him.

"Yes, aside from that." Kagome gave him a long considering look. She wanted to change Itachi's fate- the fate of the Uchiha, but did Minato need this information for that to happen? She had other ideas for the blond man in front of her.

Naruto…

"I can't tell you that." She said finally. There was a moment when the man's posture became rigid, and his eyes widened fractionally before he caught himself. Kagome just gave him a small smile. Conclusions indeed.

"Sorry." She offered.

"What can you tell me?" Kagome tried not to laugh at how reverent his tone became, how cautious. It came out a little strangled sounding for her efforts. She twisted her fingers together in her lap and sat down in the dirt. If they weren't going to walk she might as well sit instead of standing. Minato followed her lead.

"I do have some things I need to tell you." She finally said. "But I need a favor before we get to that." Minato's eyes became guarded. "What kind of favor." His tone was not pleased.

Kagome waved a hand through the air between them. "It's not weird or awful I promise." He didn't look like he believed her. So she told him what she needed, and his face morphed into a perplexed one.

"That's it? I could get those with less than a D-ranks pay, you want to trade knowledge of the future for trinkets?" Kagome did laugh then, and as it dwindled into giggles that she held behind a hand she told him, "It would mean a great deal to me."


	230. Trinkets

"What are they for?" He asked her, looking like a cat in front of a can of tuna.

"Wouldn't you rather hear what I have to tell you?" She deflected. Minato noticed, but let it go in the face of something he wanted more.

"Alright," She breathed, feeling nervous suddenly. She needed to do this carefully, she didn't want to make anything worse, and if she was honest with herself, she was a little tentative about the man's reaction as well. She twisted her fingers around themselves in her lap, feeling fidgety.

"Kushina is due on October 10th," she began.

Whatever Minato had expected it hadn't been that. He gave her a sharp, pointed look, and his jaw tightened, his back became rigid.

"Maa, maa" She soothed softly. "I'm not threatening you, please remember. I'm telling you this so that you can stop it from happening." She told the man. His fists clenched over his folded knees.

"Stop what from happening." He ground the words out. Kagome hesitated only a moment longer before she pushed forward; it was too late to stop now.


	231. Implication

"On October 10th, after Naruto is born, a man will come for your family." She told him. Minato's bright pleasant aura was rapidly twisted into something dark and threatening, but it wasn't focused on her so she kept talking.

"The Kyuubi will be released, and it will devastate the streets of Konoha. Many will die." Minato took in a sharp breath. "The man will be in control of the Kyuubi-" here she made a swirling gesture over one eye, and without the word 'sharingan' actually being said she knew Minato understood the implication.

"He will wear a white mask with horizontal waves on it. Later it will be orange, I'm not sure why he changes it but- err sorry that's not important." She trailed off, trying to order her thoughts.

"He will tell you that he is no one, but in truth he is Uchiha Madara. Madara harbors a deep hated for Konoha, and the Uchiha. He will do this as an attempt to destroy your home- and he will lay the blame at the feet of his own clan. Konoha will turn against them."

Minato, eyes wide laid his head in his hands and let out a ragged breath. "This can't be true..." The words broke Kagome's heart. He sounded so desperately hopeful that it was a lie.

* * *

AN: I went back and did some research for future chapters, and I found that in the time-line Kagome got sucked into the Naruto-verse at Tobi's real identity wouldn't have been revealed yet. At this point she really does think Tobi is Madara. I know some of you guys are pretty picky about these things so please know I'm doing my best to side-step plot holes. If anyone has any other suggestions on what she would, or wouldn't know at this point please feel free to tell me. Kagome had just read the conversation between the resurrected Itachi and Sasuke where he told him the truth of the Uchiha massacre. At some point I'll go back to those first couple of chapters and make that point more clear as I think it came off way to vague. Anyways- Thanks for reading! Please enjoy!


	232. Kushina's Death

"I wish it wasn't." She told him sincerely, laying a reassuring hand on his knee. "Unfortunately," She added, "I'm not done yet."

Minato looked up at her with big blue eyes, and she felt terrible for him. Her resolve firmed. She would make sure the tragedy of this world went differently.

"Kushina will want you to reseal the Kyuubi into her body, so that when she takes him into death his resurrection will be postponed for a decade."

Minato made a choked sobbing noise.

"You won't be able to bring yourself to do it." She whispered, her tone going quiet and soft. "You will choose to seal it inside of Naruto instead."

"No." Minato shook his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry." She offered softly. She really was.


	233. Going to War

"The reason I'm telling you this, is because I think with mine, and Itachi-chan's help, we can change Konoha's fate. Your family's fate- the fate of the Uchiha clan."

Minato looked at her, really looked at her. He wanted to hope, he really did. This whole thing seemed so unreal. He knew that this woman before him wasn't lying. He was a seasoned Shinobi, he knew when someone was lying, but he wanted it to be. He wanted it to be a lie so badly it made his head ache and his eyes sting.

"Give one of us your hiraishin seal, and when Madara comes, we will go to war for you." ' _For Konoha, for the Uchiha, for Naruto.'_

Kagome hated that Itachi had been dragged into this, but his help would be invaluable. She wouldn't underestimate the boy, he was quick as a whip and even more deadly and she would do everything to prepare him in the coming month. They had an amazingly unfair advantage in this world, and she was going to cheat, cheat, _cheat._

"Thank you." Minato breathed the words, his blue eyes held hers and together they hoped for a better future.


	234. One Month

When they arrived back at camp, it was late in the day, and the sun was creeping lower. Kagome and Minato took Itachi aside to explain the details of what the two had just discussed, and their rough plans on how to prevent it. The boy seemed shaken, but he took to it with all the grace he had appeared to have when he was told he would be murdering his entire clan. This seemed like a small thing in comparison Kagome decided.

"We have a little over a month." Kagome told them. "I need this time to prepare myself and Itachi-chan for the coming battle." Minato nodded his agreement. They shared a look.

They both turned their attention to Itachi then, and Minato eyes softened. "Itachi," he said. "You know we can't tell your family what's going on, and if they find out about your new… power there will be questions- dangerous questions. If our enemy hears of you or Kagome-chan here, all our plans will be for nothing."


	235. Quiet and Hidden

Itachi nodded his understanding "You want to declare me MIA." Minato and Kagome nodded, unsurprised with his conclusion.

"I'll send out fake teams to look for you, but for the next month we need to keep the two of you quiet, and hidden. I'll be calling it on Kakashi as well; he will stay here with you. As far as anyone will be concerned, this is a simple mission gone wrong. Your family… will be concerned, but understand that this is for the best. You'll return in a month."

Itachi nodded nonplused. "I understand Hokage-sama." And he did; smart kid that he was, he struggled more with why these adults were making such a big deal out of it.

"Right!" Minato said clapping his hands together. "I'll just be off to grab those things for you Kagome-chan!" And then he just… vanished, leaving only an echo of his aura.

"Creepy." Kagome said. Itachi nodded, eyeing the ghostly outline of an aura where the man had just stood.


	236. It Never Happened

Minato reappeared in his office, which looked like a war-zone. There were at least twenty people in here!

"Alright! Everyone out! Expect you Tenzo- you stay" He yelled, and grabbed the man by the shoulder when he tried to amble out with the crowd of people. There were grumbles and complaints and there was paperwork absolutely everywhere.

It was nice, and also a little disappointing to know that Konoha seemed to fall apart without him after a single day.

When the last straggler made his way out and the door shut with a click, Minato turned to the ex-ROOT member.

"Tenzo." He said voice flat and serious, Tenzo straitened at the sound of it. "This mission has been declared an S-class secret. You will speak of it to no one, it never happened." He began. He dug through the paperwork on his desk, where were those damn reports?


	237. Setting Trash Bins on Fire

Aha! He gathered all three together and dumped them in the trash. "Kakashi and Itachi are now MIA, I'm sending you on a search and rescue mission to find them, you will return after seventeen days in failure. Make it look like a thorough search." Minato told the man as he set the scrolls on fire in a waste bin with a quick hand seal.

Tenzo bowed low at the waist "Yes Hokage-sama." When he turned to leave, Minato called him back. "One more thing." He ambled over to the man, and gently touched his shoulder to apply a seal on the inside of the Jounin jacket.

"If Danzo summons you for any reason at all, I will assume you are compromised. You will active this seal the moment you receive the summons." Tenzo gave the blond man a startled look, but bowed again none-the-less.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Off you go then."


	238. Hairbrush

Kagome ran the brush through Haku's hair until it shone like ravens feathers in the fire light. She hummed soft things to him as he relaxed in her lap.

"Itachi-chan, would you like it if I brushed your hair next?" The poor boy looked like a deer in head lights at her question.

"No, sensei." He said dutifully. Kakashi snorted a laugh and she turned to look at him, the fire made his white hair take on a reddish tint.

She brandished the hair brush at him, "Don't laugh or I'll brush your mop of tangles next!" She threatened him. It was his turn to look startled, his eyes darting about looking for an escape. He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "A-ah no need!" he gave her an innocent eye-smile.

Haku just hummed in pleasure when her brushing resumed.


	239. Contentment

Zabuza sat behind her just as she was making the finishing twist to Haku's hair so he could get to sleep. It startled her; usually she was the one to approach him. She didn't question it too much though, content to let him do as he pleased. When Kagome finished she smoothed the cloth of Haku's kimono across his shoulders and laid a kiss on his crown.

He blushed prettily and mumbled his thanks.

Kagome gave a startled squeak when she felt Zabuza's arms curl around her sides and drag her backwards into him. She blushed brighter than Haku who was now looking at her with amusement. Behind her Zabuza made a pleasant rumbling sound when she leaned into his chest. He pulled his knees up on either side of her and perched his arms there, circling her much smaller frame with his. His aura thickened and turned languid in its foggy roll in what she guessed was contentment. Haku scooted back to lay down in Kagome's lap, and her gentle petting of his hair resumed. He let out a pleased sigh.

Kagome agreed with their sentiments, quite comfortable herself.


	240. Truth, and Lies

Dawn was breaking over the horizon, and Kagome walked the tree line with Itachi before they would settle down to start a new day of control training. Something was off though… It felt, quiet. Itachi was lost in thought, keeping up with her slow strides easily.

"Kagome-sensei?" His tone was odd, he sounded… subdued somehow. She tilted her head to look down at the boy, and he ducked his head into his high collared shirt, his hair swung forward to hide his face.

"Hm?" She softly encouraged him to continue.

"What is the meaning of life? Someone told me once that… there isn't one."

' _Orochimaru.'_ She remembered. That was… right before he tried to kill himself.

She stopped walking and crouched down in front of him. The wind was soft; it brushed through his dark hair as he kept eye contact with the ground. She reached out a tentative hand and brushed his hair from his face, curing it behind an ear. His eyes slowly rose to catch hers.

"Itachi" She told him softly. "There is meaning in life, but I can't tell you what it is, because it's different for everyone." She reached out to grasp his small hands in hers. _'Only a child.'_

"I told you once, that all life is scared, precious; and I know that you believe this too." He nodded slowly.

"We protect those we love, so that they can have the chance to find meaning in their lives too." Itachi let out a small breath, and his eyes squinted at her slightly, she thought he looked like he was trying not to cry.

"Itachi, people are always going to expect things from you, because you are smart, and you excel in this world where death and pain are readily accepted as normal." He looked down again his hair sliding forward once more, so she reached out a hand to tilt up his chin. She was sure his eyes looked wet this time.

"You will always have a choice, Itachi." She whispered to him. "There will always be another way." The look of hope on his face broke her heart. She released his chin to place a hand over his heart.

"We hold the purity of life within us." She told him "It's our job to protect the people precious to us, and even the ones who aren't, because everyone deserves a chance to find meaning in their life."She hesitated for a moment, chewing her words. "Sometimes, that means we have to stop other people from taking that choice, but it doesn't always have to be so black and white. There will always be another way." She repeated.

He didn't say anything, but his little fingers that she still held squeezed around her own.

"I wish I could say that it gets easier, and you'll never have to make hard decisions, but that's not true, especially in this world. Someday, when you have someone of your own to protect, you'll understand better, and there will be meaning." He nodded again, and she stood slowly, still clasping his little hand in hers, and they resumed their slow walk around the clearing.

 _'I wish I could tell him I will always be here to protect him, but it would be a lie.'_


	241. Kunai's and Lanterns

Kagome moved to sit back on her heels in front of Itachi, his chakra safely stored away, and ki flowing beneath his skin.

"I want to try something else today, Itachi-chan." To her right Kakashi tilted his head.

"Kakashi-kun, may I borrow a kunai?" It was a testament to his trust that he didn't ask why. He just fished around in his hip pouch for a moment before producing the weapon with a flourish that spoke of deadly familiarity. She proffered the hilt to Itachi, holding it by the tip- he took it haltingly. He gave her a questioning look from behind his high collared shirt.

"When I was first learning, I found it much easier to use my ki when I channeled it through a weapon. I was given a bow at the time but I think it would be better to give you something you already know the ins and outs of." She explained. "So I want you to try and pour your ki into it." She explained.

He looked down at the weapon in his hand with a doubtful furrow of his brow. He gave it a little twirl by the ring with deft fingers, and then grasped it tightly in front of him as if he was going to make a slashing motion.

The kunai lit up like a lantern.

"Excellent!" Kagome crowed to him, absolutely pleased with this development.

Kakashi's eye was wide as he stared at the brightly lit kunai, "Just like that?" He asked, she wasn't sure if he was actually asking anyone though.

Itachi looked immensely pleased. He even smiled.


	242. Plucking at Water

"It is like water." Itachi said suddenly. Kagome looked up from where she'd been lying about; chatting with Kakashi about what Konoha is like.

"Hm?"

"Ki is like water." He reiterated. Kagome paused her hands where they had been plucking at grass.

"Yes I suppose that a good analogy." She agreed.

"Chakra is like fabric, that's why it hasn't been working." He sounded very pleased to of figured out… whatever it was he'd figured out.

"What do you mean?" It was Kakashi who asked.

"Chakra is like many threads that you can use individually, or weave together to cover a surface. You can pull and tug and it will come." He explained, Kagome didn't really get it but Kakashi was nodding along.

"Sure." He said.

"Ki you have to… _pour_. Like water. This is why I can fill the kunai, but not direct it within me. You cannot pluck a thread of water." Itachi explained patiently.

"That makes sense." Kagome praised him. _'He really is a smart kid. He figured out the differences this quickly on his own.'_

Kakashi looked perplexed. "Interesting."


	243. Kakashi's Mask

"Kakashi-kun?" Kagome asked using her best innocent voice. Kakashi rolled over in the grass where he was lying to face her. He didn't look like he was buying it.

"Kagome?" he looked curious, if not a little wary at her unusual inflection.

"Why do you wear a mask?" She asked him, and suddenly he looked like he wanted to laugh.

"Well you see," He started "When I was a little boy there was this dog-"

"You're full of it" She interrupted. He gave a mock gasp and clutched at his heart dramatically. Kagome heard Itachi snort a laugh from where he was attempting to manipulate ki from one kunai to another in two different hands. He was actually managing it pretty well now that he understood the mechanics.

"Nah." She told the silver haired man. "I bet you have a pretty face."

"Why do you say that? I could be hiding a vicious scar." He leaned his cheek into his propped up hand.

"I know things." She said in her best spooky voice. His eye widened fractionally, and Itachi lowered his kunai a little bit.

"Yea," She continued, enjoying this way too much. "I bet you even have a beauty mark. Right-" She reached out and taped the space just below his lip where she knew it was. "-Here."

The color drained from his skin faster that she could snap her fingers. She burst out laughing, she laughed so hard she had to bury her face in her arms to smother it.

Somewhere behind her she heard Itachi say, "You do don't you."

It made her laugh all over again.


	244. Harpy

Minato scrubbed a hand through his hair, and leaned forward in his desk chair. It had been days and he still hadn't been able to find the time to get away- but he would today. After this one last meeting that he was not looking forward to. At all.

He allowed himself a gusty sigh and finished filling out the last of the paperwork on Kakashi. He had to put a lock on that evil woman Kakashi called his landlord from putting all his belonging on the curb after he'd been declared MIA. The damn woman was a harpy.

There was a knock on his office door. _'Here we go.'_

"Come in." He called, and in entered a very, very pregnant Mikoto, and her husband Uchiha Fugaku. They bowed, if not a little awkwardly on Mikoto's part.

"Have a seat." He told them, no need to make the poor woman stand. She did sit, but Fugaku stood behind her chair, hands on her shoulders. They both looked drawn and pale. The frown lines on Fugaku's face were deeper than they usually looked.

"Hokage-sama" Fugaku addressed him. "We won't ask about the details of this mission Itachi was on, but we are here to offer the services of the Uchiha police force in the search." Minato nodded kindly to them. You could say a lot of things about Uchiha Fugaku, but he was a good shinobi, and a good police captain; he understood the word 'classified' better than most, even when it hadn't outright been said.


	245. Rouge

"I have already sent out two of our best tracker teams to search for him and Hatake" Minato told them. Fugaku's shoulders slumped minimally, and Mikoto's hands began to shake.

"Is there any word, anything at all?" She whispered. Minato shook his head sadly, "There was a trail headed north, but your son and Hatake are very skilled shinobi and the mission required the utmost discretion. I'm afraid it's been difficult to pick it back up."

"What is the likely hood that Itachi has gone rouge." Fugaku cut to the chase. Minato eyed the man, he was an uptight Uchiha like the best of them, but he could tell he was worried for his heir.

"Minimal." Mikoto's eyes began to water, and she stroked a hand over her swollen belly.

"Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama" Fugaku said, helping his wife to stand again, and they left the office in silence with a click of a door shutting. Minato let out another sigh; that could have been a lot worse.


	246. Not Quite Right

Zabuza seemed anxious. She wasn't sure why she thought he seemed that way as he gave no outward signs, but she'd always trusted her instincts; and right now they were screaming at her that something was wrong with the man.

She'd been laying in the grass, keeping one solid eye on Itachi's progress with the control exercises he'd been working on, making sure nothing was about to blow up in his face, or someone else's for that matter. After a while her attention started to wander, Itachi was a smart kid and his progress as of late had taken like a fish to water. She felt confident that in another week he wouldn't even need his chakra barrier.

Kakashi was having a conversation with Haku about the uses of senbon that the boy could apply in certain situations, and Haku was hanging on the man's every word. Kagome felt a flicker of amusement over the fact that Kakashi was… teaching him basically. Even when in cannon he dragged his feet all over the place when it came to showing team seven how to do anything; but there he was posing tactical questions to her little one, trying to get him to think of other ways to use his favored weapon.

Zabuza though, he was sitting at the edges of their make shift group like he always did. Not in an overbearing way, more like… the silent sentinel of the group. She got the feeling he didn't really want to associate with the leaf-nin, and that he mostly just put up with them to humor her. That was okay with her, Zabuza was Zabuza, and as long as he stayed near she'd be happy.

Today though… something was up.


	247. Love's Illusions

Kagome approached him cautiously, like one might approach a snake because you needed to collect venom. The edges of his aura felt... harsh almost abrasive in a way. When he cracked a single lazy eye open to watch her move towards him it smoothed out a little, but it changed in other ways. It thickened, turning darker as a result, and it seemed to break past its normal boundaries around his skin and laze across the ground towards her. Let it be known that although Kagome could _see_ auras, that didn't necessarily mean she had any idea what they _meant_ half the time. Zabuza was one of the best at giving her signals she couldn't always interpret.

Kagome flopped onto the grass next to him, because she knew he wouldn't mind; but still the feeling of… wrongness remained. She was sure of it now that she sat so close that something was truly bothering her swordsman. The silence stretched around them, and she found herself singing an old song her mother used to sing to fill the space.

"Moons and Junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way that you feel. As every fairy tale comes real; I've looked at love that way. But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go and if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away. I've looked at love from both sides now, from give and take, and still somehow it's love's illusions that I recall. I really don't know love at all."*

The words were all in English so she didn't fret too much over anyone picking up on the words, but it made her feel better to sing to no one like she always did.

* * *

AN: Song belongs to artist Joni Mitchelle, if you haven't heard it its really very pretty. I do not own please don't sue.


	248. Stay

"Kagome." The sound of his baritone caught her wandering attention and she fell backwards into the grass just as an excuse to be a little closer to him.

"Hm?" She encouraged him to continue with a soft sound.

"How long will you stay?" The question caught her off guard and she rolled onto her side to see him. He was still sitting the same way he was when she'd first approached him. One leg out stretched and the other cocked at a horizontal angle. He propped his elbow on his crooked leg so he could rest his cheek in his palm. He looked very purposeful, like he always did. Like he owned the ground he sat on. His eyes were closed, but she knew that wasn't really a sign that he wasn't paying attention.

She noticed his bandages had an extra roll or two of loops that circled his neck loosely today.

"What do you mean?" She asked him with a slight furrow in her brow. She thought maybe she knew, but she didn't want to make assumptions on such a depressing topic if that's not what he meant.


	249. Heartbreak

He did look at her then, his gaze searching for a moment. He lifted his head from his palm and brought his knee up to lay his arm there.

"When we spoke before." He began, and she knew what he meant. "You said that when your enemy was dead you had to leave- to return to where you were originally from." It wasn't a question so much as a prompt; and she felt her heart sink in her chest to realize that yes, that's exactly what he wanted to talk about.

"Aa I did, didn't I." her voice cracked a little, so she quietly cleared her throat to attempt to give him a reasonable answer. "I don't know honestly, my… presence has always sort of... been subject to the whims of… that thing I broke." She had to pause in the middle of talking and it left her feeling like an idiot. Zabuza's gaze broke off from hers after one steady, searching minute, and his aura morphed into something darker, more malevolent. The edges sharpened again, in a way that made her feel unsure. She didn't think he was having violent thoughts- but whatever was going on with him was unpleasant.

And then he just stood up, and walked away without another word. Kagome only positive thought in that moment was that at least no one could hear the sound of her heart breaking.

 _'Good job Kagome, you really set yourself up for this one.'_


	250. Anything Battle Related

Kakashi didn't know what to think when the sun had set that night and the Kiri-nin still hadn't returned from wherever he'd left to. Kagome's attitude was sullen. She brushed Haku's hair in the firelight like she did every night, but her figure drooped, and her mind seemed a hundred miles away. Mostly it was the absence of her perpetual humming that cued him in.

He shared a look with Itachi, and then they both looked to Haku. Haku shrugged subtly. Kakashi had no idea what to say, this kind of thing was not his forte; give him a war front- a infiltration into enemy territory- anything battle related, but cheering up an unhappy female? Totally lost.

He looked back over to Itachi who also appeared to be struggling to find something to say.

The silence stretched.


	251. Apparently Not

Kakashi thought of their light conversation about Konoha, and his life there. That seemed a safe a subject as any right? Kagome always seemed the type to appreciate company, maybe some inane subject about home would cheer the girl up?

"Kagome?" Kakashi called to her, and the look on Itachi's face was relieved. "Tell us what your home is like?" He tried to sound nonchalant, just a typical subject as any right?

Apparently not.

The brush paused midair, and Kagome seemed to freeze. She bowed her head and her bangs shadowed her eyes.

Kakashi, Haku, and Itachi all panicked.


	252. Mission Failure

Itachi shot Kakashi a disgruntled look.

 _'_ You suck.' The boy mouthed to him. Before anyone could attempt anything else- not that they knew where to go from here, Kagome looked up.

Her eyes seemed suspiciously red-rimmed and glassy. She let out a shaky breath and opened her mouth- and then immediately closed it. Her eyes found his, and he thought she looked… just as much at loss for words as he was. It was unlike her- and Kakashi felt distinctly uncomfortable with the change in her persona.

"Never mind." Damn he really did suck at this. The silence continued to stretch. Kakashi casually put a hand behind his back away from Kagome's sight and began to rapid-fire hand signs off to Itachi.

' _Mission failure- objective unknown, new strategy required'_

' _Target status unknown, indirect approach, distract and divide.'_ Itachi signed back to him.

Kakashi searched for words, Itachi's strategy made sense but he still had no idea what to say. Haku cleared his throat and then- Both Kagome and Itachi snapped to look at him. He held his hands up in a warding gesture. "Uhm-" He began, what did he do now?!

"Hokage-sama is coming." Itachi sounded immensely relieved and Kakashi sagged.

 _'Oh thank kami-sama.'_


	253. Minato to the Rescue

Minato materialized in the same small clearing he had previously left the group at- it was late and he hoped he wasn't interrupting, but this might be the only time he could get away from his post.

Immediately he knew something was up. Kakashi and Itachi were giving him imploring looks, and the little boy who followed Kagome around seemed unsure.

The girl herself looked sixty seconds from breaking down, her eyes were red and her cheeks were puffy. Her hands were shaking, and she looked uncomfortable in her own skin. She gave him a little smile, "Hey" She greeted in a soft tone.

' _My poor emotionally lost little student, how long have you been letting this go on?'_ His eyes swung to look at the Uchiha boy for a moment. _'Then again your back up is an emotionally constipated prodigy.'_

Minato dropped two bags into his leaf-nin's laps; they'd probably need clean clothes and supplies by now. He reached for Kagome's hand and Haku popped out of her lap like a daisy in springtime.

"C'mon." He told her "Let's go for a walk." His smile was kind, and his body language was open and relaxed. She took it, and he led her off into the woods.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

' _Crisis averted.'_ Itachi signed to Kakashi.


	254. Open Book

"So what's got you so glum?" Minato dived right in while guiding her away with a gentle hand on her back. She sagged beneath his touch. "I-" But she stopped, her hands started to fidget.

"It's stupid." She dismissed herself. Minato gave her a disbelieving look.

"Kagome." He admonished, and she thought his tone was a lot like her mother's when she'd said something disappointing. She looked away.

"You have feelings for the missing-nin." He said for her, and her head snapped back up to give him a startled look. He shrugged at her unasked question.

"You're kind of an open book." She sagged again. "Right." When nothing else seemed fourth coming, he forged on.

"By his lack of presence in the area I'd imagine you had a fight." Kagome's mouth twisted into a little frown, and reached up a hand to grasp her upper arm.

"Not exactly." She said, and then her expression steeled.

"When everything is over, I'll disappear." Minato couldn't fathom why she made it sound so literal, but then again he couldn't really fathom much about this girl, so he did his best to just roll with it- coming to the best conclusions he could reach as to her sour mood.

"Does he know?" He inquired softly. She nodded her posture drooping again.

"I imagine he didn't take it well." Kagome nodded again. He gave the girl a pitying look. Why she even liked the demon of the bloody mist was beyond him. She was such a kind, sweet girl with her heart in the right place and Zabuza… well, wasn't.


	255. Kakashi Makes Everything Complicated

"I couldn't ever ask him to- because, because I know at some point I'll…" Minato could read between the lines. She couldn't ask the man to love her, assuming the man was capable of such a complex emotion, because she would be forced to abandon him at some point. The blond man felt for her, he really did. He didn't know if he could ever give up Kushina even if he knew he'd be torn from her side- but at the same time he knew Kushina wouldn't let him go just because it was an eventuality.

"You're going to have to let him draw his own conclusions." Minato told her with a comforting hand on top of her head.

"He's a grown man, and he's responsible for his own dealings." He sighed then. "I won't lie to you and say he'll come around because he might not. I don't really know the man." He scrubbed the back of his head with his hand and sighed again. It was difficult to find the right words for this girl. The man she'd chosen wasn't exactly predictable. He could take his boy and leave the very next day for all he knew. Kagome had absolutely no control over the situation.

 _'Why couldn't she like someone simpler? I'd know what to say if this was Kakashi.'_ He shook his head to dispel the thought. _'Maybe not. That kid makes everything complicated.'_


	256. Focus on the Good

"You're here now, with Itachi-chan and you're doing a great job teaching him. You've made new friends and Konoha has your back. Just… try to focus on the positive things for right now." He told her.

Kagome took a deep breath, and she seemed to steady a little at his words. She even graced him with a tentative smile.

"You're right. I'm sorry- sometimes I get a little too wrapped up in- but that's not what matters right now. Itachi's training is coming along great; I'm amazed by how quickly he picks things up." She changed the subject.

Their conversation drifted off to happier subjects- how pleased she was with Itachi, how she got along with Kakashi, how hard Haku worked.

Slowly her mood lifted, and she gave him real smiles, and laughed at his stupid jokes, and even though the shadow of her thoughts weren't completely dispelled, he felt confident she'd be okay. She was a strong girl.


	257. Ink on Paper

"I got you those things you asked for." Minato told her as they settled back into the group around the fire light. Kakashi had given him a look that said _'Thank you for fixing her'_ the second he'd seen Kagome's face. Minato felt no end of amusement for it.

Itachi curiously looked on as Minato handed her a large paper sack that crinkled when it changed hands.

"What did you get sensei?" He asked her. She gave him a sly grin and fished around inside. She pulled out an ink brush set, and some long strips of paper. He could tell there were other things in there- but he was more curious about what the writing utensils were for at the moment.

"This" she said with a flourish and thinly veiled excitement, "Is for ofuda."

Kakashi's head tilted, and even Minato had no idea what that was; he didn't have to wonder long as she went into lecture mode almost immediately.

"Come here Itachi-chan and I'll show you." The boy ambled over and sat to her left, Minato held the spot on her right still.

"The rule of ofuda is simple." She said as she dipped the brush into the ink, and began to make clean, neat strokes on one of the strips of paper.

Minato's eyes widened at her actions.


	258. omnipotent

"They can't do anything that's outside of your normal ability range. So- they can't grant you omnipotence, or change lead into gold or anything crazy." She told him.

"Seals?" Minato breathed the word, looking at Kagome in a new kind of light. "Eh- not exactly, I mean, sort of. They can do similar things as seals, like the junchuriki seal might be possible on a much, much smaller scale. I could never seal a taiyokai like Sesshoumaru-sama- err never mind." She waved the words away with a hand.

"Anyways, come here Kakashi-kun." She crooked a finger at the man, and he gave her an incredulous look. She huffed "It won't hurt or anything I promise." So he ambled over and crouched down in front of her, his arms resting on his thighs and his wrists handing limply between them.

"You might want to actually sit." She told him. He did so with a raised brow.

Kagome finished the simple ofuda, and held it between her index and middle fingers. She breathed a small prayer under her breath before turning to Itachi.

"I'll tell you the words in the morning, and how to imbue them, for now-" Her hand shot out and she plastered the ofuda to Kakashi's forehead. His stopped moving.

"This is just for fun!" and she clapped her hands at her success. Itachi and Minato just looked from her to the ofuda and back again.

She had written 'Ninja Be Still' in plain kanji down the length of it. Minato reached out and poked him. Kakashi didn't move, didn't even blink.


	259. Minato Wants to Learn

"Fascinating." Itachi said with bright eyes.

"The other rule of ofuda is that only someone with ki can remove it. Minato please give it a try." The blond man reached out at her instruction but as soon as his fingertips brushed the paper it crackled with energy. He yanked his arm back with wide eyes.

"Could you teach me to do this?" Minato asked her.

"Aa, I'm afraid not. We could try and see if chakra might have the same effect but…"Kagome fidgeted, not wanting to disappoint the man. He sighed; it seemed too good to be true anyways. He eyed the Uchiha prodigy then, the things this boy would be capable of when Kagome was finished with him…

"Itachi, if you'd please" She gestured to Kakashi, and the boy leaned forward so his short arm would reach and plucked the paper from the man's head.

Kakashi jerked backwards with a startled look as soon as it left his skin. Kagome giggled at him "Sorry, sorry"


	260. Bad Feelings and Tea

Kagome awoke at an odd hour that night. Her eyes snapped open to view the expanse of stars dusted across the night sky. It was cold, and she felt goose bumps shiver down her arms. She reached for Haku who was tucked into her side and pulled him closer. She was almost asleep again when she realized she didn't know what had woken her.

She wasn't a light sleeper per-say, but she had sensitivity to auras and their intentions; and this was a thing she always had to be wary of. Waking up for no reason had never led to anything good in the Sengoku period. It was with this disturbing realization that she shuffled her little bed mate around in her sleeping bag so that she could sit up properly.

Itachi was asleep curled up in his own blanket; his little chest rose and fell with his even breathing. Her eyes found Kakashi who was keeping watch from the small campfire. The one eyed ninja looked up to meet her gaze and his brow furrowed.

"Alright there?" He asked in a low whisper.

She shook her head, unsure of what had woken her- but still the feeling that something was wrong persisted. She swept her gaze across their camp unsure of what she was looking for, but Zabuza's continued absence wasn't missed.

She sighed. Kagome had hoped he'd be back by the morning. It was only a split second later that these thoughts left her head like water through a colander, five unknown auras pinged onto her mental map- she got the feeling they weren't stopping by for tea.


	261. Pants

Minato shot out of bed like a rocket, startling a very pregnant Kushina.

"Minato what's going on?!" She watched as the man frantically searched for clothes "Pants-pants-pants!" he muttered with wide eyes.

"Minato?" she called again, he looked up to meet her eyes; one leg stuffed into his trousers, and one arm threading through his white coat sleeve.

"Tenzo's seal has been activated." He said, and she had no idea what he was talking about but she knew it could nothing good. Minato was gone a split second after he'd managed to get his sandals on.

"Be careful." She said to an empty room.


	262. ANBU

Before she could call out to Kakashi, one of the men shushin-ed in front of her. He wore a black cloak with grey chest armor underneath and a white mask designed to look like some kind of bird.

 _'Leaf ANBU?'_ her mind provided for her. The man's hands shot out and she yelped loudly. He gripped her by the arm, and the front of her kimono and he hauled her over his shoulder. Haku, Kakashi and Itachi were all on their feet the second the man had appeared, but Haku was the only one close enough to make a move within the millisecond it took the stranger to collect their female friend and dart off into the woods.

Senbon flashed into the boy's fingers, and he threw them with deadly accuracy- but this enemy wasn't some green genin, he was ANBU and Haku's efforts earned him nothing but a kick to the chest that sent him flying back towards Itachi. The Uchiha caught him before he could land into the slowly dying campfire.

"Haku!" Kagome screamed even as she disappeared into the din.

Kakashi immediately took after them with a flash-step.


	263. Bird-Man

Kagome didn't know what was going on- well, she did. Obviously she was being kidnapped. Again. What confused her though, was that these men wore the Konoha ANBU masks. Why would Minato send ANBU to collect her like this? It didn't make any sense there was no good reason at all.

She quickly chose not to use her ki to retaliate. She wouldn't until she felt her life was truly in danger. These were Konoha-nin, and she wasn't going to risk killing Kakashi and Itachi's friends, and co-workers. So she took to her second most comfortable option while in this position. She screamed, right in the stupid bird man's ear too.

" _Zabuza!"_ Her voice was sharp and shrill and it echoed around them through the trees. Bird-man flinched. She saw a flash of white- and then Kakashi was just behind them. Two more ANBU appeared from the sides to intercept him, and at the crazy speed she was being carted off at, they left him far behind within seconds.

"Kagome!" The sound of his voice was feint, and punctuated but the sound of metal against metal. She inhaled again gripping the ANBU's cloak between clenched fingers and used the small amount of leverage to haul herself up and she opened her mouth to scream again- something hard smashed into the back of her head and everything went dark.


	264. Rain

Minato yanked on his connection to Kakashi, and found himself in the middle of a battle with ROOT operatives. He blocked a downward strike with a quickly drawn kunai, but immediately upon realization of who he was the men flashed away into the dark with a single _'retreat'_ hand signal.

Kakashi was breathing hard. "Kagome-" he started to explain

"Which way?" Minato interrupted, Kakashi straightened and pointed to the south in the direction of Rain. Minato's mind whirled even as they both took up the chase. Minato regretted not giving Kagome the hiraishin seal sooner with a stabbing bitterness.

 _'The Land of Rain? Why head that way? Why wouldn't Danzo shuffle her into the underbelly of Konoha?'_ He eyes narrowed at the thought. What was in Rain? They had closed their borders shortly after the war, and there had been no trade in or out in months.

If Danzo really knew about Kagome, and what she could do there's no way he would give that up… unless he got something he wanted more in return. Minato made a frustrated sound. What was Danzo's plan? Perhaps he had some kind of safe house at the border; he wouldn't be surprised, they were dotted all over Fire country from the war. Just behind him he heard Kakashi made a strangled noise.

"We're losing the trail" They pushed forward with renewed speed.


	265. Soft

Zabuza was not pleased. This woman had managed to put him in a position where he felt he had no control. Zabuza did not like feeling like he was not in control. He snarled at noone and swung his blade in another powerful arc to slice a tree in half. It's branches cracked and shuddered as it slid from its severed base before making a satisfying crunch as it connected with another tree.

He was sweating, heat rolled off of him in waves. Night had fallen and would soon give way to dawn, and the cool air touched his skin; calming him a little. He didn't know what to do about her. He was a very straight forward type of man. He did not enjoy beating around the bush, he knew himself and he knew what he wanted. It was because of this that it was not difficult for him to admit that he wanted her to stay. He'd grown attached to her like he had Haku, he found her time and attention valuable.

Therein laid his frustration, he wanted her to stay, and it appeared neither one of them could make it happen- even if they wanted it; and he knew she did. He saw the way her gaze sought him out, the way her smiles spoke of something secret. He knew she took comfort in his presence; it wasn't difficult to figure out. The woman couldn't pretend to be something she was not, she was no shinobi. Much too honest, much too naïve. Everything about her was soft…

Zabuza snorted to himself at the thought, he dragged his gaze to the lightening sky. He would need to get back to her soon. He trusted the Leaf-nin to be competent enough to keep her safe in his absence; even if they had differing motives to his. But he'd been gone long enough, and loping down trees wasn't making him feel like he had any more control over the situation than when he'd initially left. He grit his teeth together, shouldering Kubikiribocho and flitted off the way he'd come.


	266. Something Missing

He arrived at his camp to find the Leaf-nin's Hokage there. The tone was somber and serious. His eyes flicked about, searching for raven hair and blue eyes.

She wasn't here.

If he had been a lesser shinobi his steps might have faltered; but he was the demon of the mist- so instead he felt a burning rage well within his chest. These leaf-nin had failed.

"Where is she." Haku stood immediately from the small circle of people. The silver haired man flinched at the sound of his voice, and his woman's protégé lightly touched a hand to his hip pouch. The blond leader met his heated gaze with a cool one.

"Zabuza-san, much has happened since you left." Haku's voice was soft, and Zabuza felt his muscles uncoil very slightly at the sound of it.

"Where is she." His voice was no less hard-edged and dangerous, but it lost its guttural vibrations.

"Please join us." The blond man said in a clipped sort of way. Zabuza's hand griped the leather handle of his sword so hard he heard the leather creak.

Someone was going to die for this. With excessive amounts of blood and pain.


	267. Blindfold

Kagome's head was pounding. She cracked her eyes open, but saw only dark. It took her a moment to realize she had fabric swathed across her eyes. She tried to reach up to touch the place on her head she was sure would feel wet, but her hands were bound, her wrists held together by a punishingly tight circle of rope behind her back. Her legs were in a similar situation if the pins and needles feeling in her feet was anything to go by.

"Hello?" She called tentatively. There was no response. She was sure she was still outside, she could feel grass brushing her exposed skin, and the sound of morning birds called around her. Kagome made a strangled sound. This was bad, so very, very bad. If ANBU had come for her- and she knew Minato wouldn't have sent them that meant Danzo was involved.

Shit.

She hopped Kakashi could track them, hoped Zabuza would come back in time to come after her. She didn't want to think about what Danzo wanted with her, but she knew it was nothing good. The sound of approaching footsteps crunching in the grass stopped her train of thought. There was a shuffle of fabric and she swallowed a startled gasp when someone touched her hair. There was a tisking sound when the searching fingers found the back of her head.


	268. Danzo-sama

"Danzo-sama will await payment at headquarters." An empty flat sounding voice said very close to her back and she did startle then, so wrapped up in her thoughts and fears she'd failed to notice the auras around her.

The one in front of her that was still touching her scalp made a strange noise.

"Dismissed." It sounded like a hiss, and she felt the five other auras flicker away immediately, leaving her with the one strange aura that slithered gracefully across her skin. It didn't feel malevolent, more cold and calculating.

The hand in her hair slid long delicate fingers around to the tie that held the fabric across her eyes.

"You're a pretty thing." The voice said to her, sickly sweet and smooth. With a quick twist of deft fingers that fabric pooling on the ground in front of her. She blinked her eyes against the harsh light of day. Her pupils dilated and adjusted and her eyes rose to meet golden eyes with a slit down the middle.


	269. Fear

For one glorious moment she thought Inuyasha had come- but no. Of course not, the skin was too pale, the face too feminine. These golden eyes were cold, and surrounded by purple cat-eye marks. Long black hair framed his face, falling in pin straight sheets that were jagged and uneven at the ends. The man's grin was feral. She stilled, panic and fear struck the cords of her mind with a suddenness that made her breath catch and her eyes blink back heat.

"Oro… chimaru..." The name fell from her lips in barely more than a whisper. His grin split his face even further to show too many teeth. He stood from his crouch, black cloak with red clouds swinging around his body elegantly. He reached down and lifted her by the back of her kimono like a puppy by the scruff.

Kagome knew fear, and this time was no different when is squeezed her heart and stilled her mind.

* * *

AN: SURPRISE!


	270. Ceramic on Wood

–A Few Days Earlier-

"Danzo." He greeted the man as he slid the shoji door closed. Orochimaru didn't particularly like his business partner, but he'd proven useful in past dealings. It was for this reason when he received the very rude summons that he chose to respond.

"Orochimaru." Danzo returned his tone of voice that thinly veiled their contempt for each other. Orochimaru smoothly seated himself on a plush cushion at a low lying traditional table. The old man before him took a sip of tea quietly. There was silence for a minute, both refusing to be the first to break it.

Danzo set his teacup down with the clack of ceramic on wood, apparently fed up with waiting. Orochimaru felt pleased with the man's lack of patience.

"There are rumors." The older man began, "Of a girl that the Hokage has hidden away, with a very… interesting ability."

Orochimaru's interest perked.

"Oh?" He prompted with false sweetness. Danzo gave him a flat look, and he curled a hand around the top of his cane a little tighter. He hated working with this snake but he wanted what that girl could do, and he wanted it in a loyal, controllable shinobi. If anyone could make that happen it was the sick twisted man in front of him who was an expert at twisting genetics and cross breeding children into soldiers. Orochimaru had gifted him with a mokuton user after all.


	271. A Deal with the Devil

"And what would Danzo-sama be wanting in exchange for this… valuable information?" Orochimaru said in mocking tones.

"Two things." Danzo cut to the chase, he didn't want this snake in his presence longer than necessary.

"I require your medical expertise with a project." He began. He knew he would need Orochimaru to implant the sharingan he'd finally gotten his hands on, some foolish nameless Uchiha genin who bitten off more than he could chew during a c-class mission gone wrong. It would be the first of many to come, if all his plans went well.

Orochimaru made an uninterested, noncommental sound.

"And…" Orochimaru's eyes flashed in the candlelight. "I want what this girl can do, but I want it in a loyal leaf-nin."

"Ho?" A grin split the snake man's face. "Tell me then, what this girl who is not a leaf shinobi can do."

Danzo was not surprised he'd picked up on that. Orochimaru had always been quick, plus he'd practically laid her status out for the man on a silver platter.

"She is immune to chakra." He said in a flat, steady tone belying his burning desire for her power.

Orochimaru's eyes blazed with interest and he made an ugly vehement hissing sound between clenched teeth.

"Yesss, I see. I believe this would be worth my time." He stood, his new red cloud robe swirling around his feet. He turned his back on the man and left; the deal struck.


	272. When in Doubt, Be Polite

Kagome's heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest, and her breathing became shallow. This was another ninja she was sure she could not kill. Like Hidan, this man was practically immortal, with the ability to literally shed his skin and leave his body behind. She wouldn't be able to purify him before he could strike a killing blow, and she was not immune to a simple kunai to the throat.

"Orochimaru… sama" well it couldn't hurt to be polite right? She'd used this same tactic with Sesshoumaru with a modicum of success in the past. When faced with ridiculous odds that appeared to want her alive in the immediate moment… be polite.

"Smart girl." The man said to her. She felt a shiver flow down her spine, and then they were moving faster than she ever had before in this world. His arm curled around her waist and he carried her tucked into his side. His speed made her queasy, her head was pounding and her throat throbbed with dryness and thirst, black spots danced before her eyes, and it became difficult to hold onto the waking world.

 _'Zabuza… please…'_ and for the second time, she succumbed to the dark produced by the throbbing pain in her skull.


	273. Poor Assumptions

Kagome sat bolt upright with a sharp gasp. Her head was no longer throbbing, but she was still very thirsty, and her body felt weak. Her hands were untied which was evident by her immediate reaction to flutter them around in front of her. It was too dark to see, her eyes widened looking fruitlessly into the emptiness around her.

Something small circled one of her wrists, some kind of metal, but she couldn't see to know what it was. She didn't think about the new addition long because a cold, calculating aura made itself known in the room with her. A candle was lit, and its meager brightness almost burned her eyes in contrast to the room moments before.

Kagome's eyes in that moment had been focused on her wrist, and she felt a hysterical laugh climbing out of her chest at the sight of it. She couldn't resist the crazed sounding giggle.

It was a chakra suppressing manacle.

' _Idiots.'_


	274. Lab Sheets

The hours that followed were possibly the most nerve wracking and frightening hours of Kagome's life. It started with Orochimaru's perplexed expression at her hysterical laughter. His eyes followed her line of sight to the metal circlet around her wrist. His face split into a foxy grin.

"Can't have you wandering off." He said in a syrupy tone. "You are our guest after all."

Kagome's blood ran cold. "Our?" she couldn't help it when her eyes flickered over his Akatsuki cloak with trepidation. Orochimaru was beyond pleased with this girl so far, he felt like glowing. He couldn't wait to get a good look at her insides, her DNA, to spill her secrets across lab sheets like blood.

"You are such a well-informed little thing, aren't you?" She flinched. Orochimaru chuckled. It echoed about the small empty room in a haunting way. When he stood, she realized how very tall and willowy he was. All grace and lithe limbs like the snake that was his moniker.

He held out his hand to her, "Come." He commanded. "You must be thirsty."

He knew she was untrained as a shinobi, and he hoped that if he could ply her with some small amount of kindness, it would make his later experiments that much easier. He always liked it better when they came willingly- and she was only a civilian after all. Probably some lost village girl the leaf had stumbled upon. He'd given her that sealed manacle even though her chakra levels were so weak they couldn't be picked up on- just in case. He wanted more information from her; he needed to get her talking first, and his time was short- Danzo was expecting him to fulfill his first half of the bargain.


	275. A Way Out

Kagome was not stupid. She knew exactly what this man was trying to do, she'd been kidnapped and under the thumb of people just as horrid as he was, way too many times before. So, she decided to play along for now, her fear made it easier. If she resisted it would only force his hand quicker. She needed to stall until she knew a sure route out of this place.

Maybe she couldn't kill Orochimaru, but she hoped she might be able to incapacitate him long enough to get the hell out of here. She just needed to know what route to take. His assumption that she was harmless with the manacle on would be her trump card.

So she took his proffered hand with her much smaller one. His countenance was beyond satisfied at her small action.


	276. The Out-Of-Place Room

Orochimaru led her into a small kitchen area down a darkly lit hall. She knew this place must be underground, but the presence of a kitchen made it seem almost like it was attempting to be more home-like than laboratory-like.

Her feet- which she realized were bare once she'd touched them to the cold stone floor padded along behind the Sannin. He glided along, his own footsteps silent with his elegant grace, and he slid the door to the said kitchen open and pushed her ahead of him with a gentle hand at the small of her back.

His touch and the contact of his aura on hers made her shiver. He felt like poison.

This however, was quickly forgotten. Wiped away cleanly by the figure who sat at a low table in this odd room that seemed out of place for a supposed laboratory hide out. She swallowed audibly eyes wide.

 _'I'm so screwed.'_


	277. Acid Green

Red eyes, with acid green pupils met her own. She shook violently at the sight of him.

"Hm?" Orochimaru's hummed behind her. "Please, don't be shy. Have a seat young one." Kagome didn't move, completely frozen in place. Orochimaru was forced to push her forward again and she stumbled into the room and took slow hesitant steps towards the table. She seated herself across from the man she knew as Kakuzu. He looked just like he did in the manga, with his weird face mask and head covering, completely swathed in his red cloud cloak.

 _'What the actual fuck is going on.'_ She felt her internal cursing was justified. Was she in the Akatsuki hideout? Not one of Orochimaru's laboratories? _Why?_

Acid green swiveled to look behind her. "A new toy of yours?" And dear kami-sama was his voice deep. "I hope this one is worth some money." His eyes landed on her again, she could feel it even though she sat frozen and bored a hole into the table with her own gaze. She fidgeted with the useless chakra suppressing bangle. This was bad, a very, very bad situation to be stuck in.


	278. Flowing Answers

Orochimaru didn't acknowledge the other man, and instead began to ply the civilian with questions while he made tea. Mundane things like tea were safe, and he was confident in his manipulations that he could make her feel that way- after a time at least. Kakuzu's presence here hadn't exactly been foreseen, but the man kept to himself and Orochimaru doubted he'd be a problem.

"What's your name, little one?" He asked in a pleasant voice.

"Kagome" She answered softly. He hummed his pleasure at her answer; this was going to be easy, he thanked his luck that she was not a shinobi. Her answers would flow like water, he was sure.

"Well Kagome-chan. You already know my name don't you? Have you heard of me?" Across from her she felt Kakuzu's aura shift with him in his seat.

"I read about you in a book." Not a lie- she had to be really careful about not lying in a room with two S-class shinobi.


	279. Shifting Aura

"Ho, is that so Kagome-chan." She wished he'd stop saying her name; it made her stomach twist in knots. Orochimaru glided his way to her side and placed a cup of hot tea in front of her. Its fragrance rose into her face. It made her feel sick.

He sat at the head of the table in one smooth motion, which left one person each on three different sides of its small frame.

"Do you know why you are here, Kagome-chan?" He asked her in a soft hiss when she didn't reach for her tea or look up from the table. She did look up then though, but not at Orochimaru. Her eyes locked with red and green and his aura _shifted_ in the most _particular_ way.

' _What is that about?'_ She frowned at him, her brows drawing in. He wasn't having violent or dangerous thoughts, it almost seemed like curiosity, or some kind of interest had sharpened his attention. It only got worse when she didn't immediately look away from him. It freaked her out… it was almost like… like he _knew-_ and with a sharp breath she realized what that movement and shape to his aura was. It was _recognition._


	280. Perplexed

Orochimaru was perplexed at the silent exchange between the little girl and the other member of the Akatsuki. He tilted his head to the side, wondering what had caught her attention so.

"You want what I can do." She breathed suddenly. Orochimaru did not miss the way Kakuzu tensed slightly before relaxing across from her.

"Yes." He told her simply. "It would be much easier for us if you would cooperate. I'll even return you to your village afterwards." A lie. She turned to look at him, and for a moment her gaze was sharp with understanding behind the fear, but it dulled so quickly he wondered if he had even seen it at all.

"Alright." She mumbled the words, but he was pleased with her agreement non-the-less. Maybe he could even sway her to him? She was young yet, her image of the world could still be twisted.

"Tell me, Kagome-chan," He said casually as he set his cup of tea down on the table. "What did the Hokage have you squirreled away for?" She looked back down at the table, and her hand rose to grasp her upper arm.

"Same thing as you I imagine." He laughed at that, a low humorless chuckle. She was a smart girl despite her appearances.


	281. Dancing

This interrogation was shredding her nerves. Orochimaru kept plying her with questions, and she had to keep dancing around her answers without it actually _sounding_ like she was. Kakuzu just sat there his attention on the wall looking like he was bored- but she could feel the sharp interest in his aura. Something was up with this guy.

The longer she spent in the room, the more worried she became about who else was in this hideout. If Tobi was here… if he found her, all their plans would be for nothing. If she made one slip up and used her powers here and Tobi found out what she could do- the element of surprise would be gone.

Kagome wanted Minato and Kushina to live _damn it._

Her tea was long cold.


	282. Yellow Scales

Her mind came to a stuttering halt when Orochimaru asked a question she didn't know how to answer. Her hands felt clammy and she desperately wanted to fidget with her fingers. The snake man's eyes were sharply trained on her, waiting for her to answer.

 _"How did you recognize the Akatsuki cloak, Kagome-chan?"_ His hissing words rang through her head. She opened her mouth, and then closed it immediately. She felt panic well up inside of her, and it took all of her willpower not to look at Kakuzu imploringly on impulse. She didn't even know the guy.

She couldn't lie. She couldn't tell the truth. Was there some kind of half-truth somewhere in between?

' _I read it in a book'_ would not cut it this time. She couldn't allude to any of her knowledge, she'd be beyond screwed.

"Uhm-" She said intelligently, but at that moment she was saved by a snake. It burst into existence with a 'pop!' and a little cloud of smoke. It was small, no longer than her arm with bright shining yellow scales. It landed on the table with a dull thud.

It flicked its tongue at Orochimaru, and the man looked immensely displeased. He gave a put upon sigh and stood.

"I'm afraid we will have to cut tea short, Kagome-chan."

 _'Short? Short?! That was a short tea time? We've been in here for an hour!'_ Outwardly she just nodded. The pale man gave her a hand up; his skin was cold and unpleasant.

"I will see you to your room; you will wait for me there." Kagome gave one last lingering look to Kakuzu, who returned her eye contact as she stepped back out into the hallway.

 _'This is the weirdest day.'_


	283. Hours

She sat on the tiny cot, in the tiny stone room she had initially woken up in. It was a plain room, with only the cot and a chair in a corner that wasn't too far.

Kagome's mind whirled. She needed to get out of here, quickly and quietly without attracting any attention or using her powers. She slumped. This was going to be impossible. She fiddled with the useless bracelet, she stood and paced for a while feeling like a caged animal.

She sat back down again and smoothed out her dirty kimono.

She waited for hours. She had no idea what time it was. She had no idea how long she really sat in that room. It had to of at least been a day. Her candle sputtered out.

At some point she laid down on her cot curled in on herself and went to sleep. She felt very disoriented when she woke. Her stomach rumbled, and she wished she had drunk her tea. She was ridiculously thirsty.


	284. Door Click

Several more hours passed, and she began to wonder when Orochimaru was going to take her into the lab that she was sure was here somewhere. She knew what kind of things he got up to from reading the manga, and she also knew she couldn't let that happen. He'd given Tenzo the first Hokage's bloodline limit; she balked at the idea of what he could do with her genetics.

She needed to clear her mind- she was going stir crazy sitting here in the dark. So she folded her legs up, and closed her eyes- not that it made a huge difference if they were open or closed, but it was a force of habit.

She sought the place within her that was quiet, and rolled like underwater currents.

She felt the rushing sensation of her ki, like the sound of lava in her ears, and the river of light flowed with her, bright and pure. She kept it down, made sure not to pull it to the surface at all. Instead she just basked in the light of it, and her awareness that it was still with her.

Her concentration was broken by the sound of her door clicking open.


	285. No One

She snapped her eyes open and had to look away from the light coming through the door, she gave her pupils a moment to adjust before looking through the open door.

There was no one there.

Kagome's brow furrowed in confusion, she slid from her cot, walking on her toes to silently pad to the door.

She poked her head into the hallway, her long hair sliding to point towards the ground. The hall was well lit, but still there was no one there. What the hell?

So she did what any other self-respecting prisoner would do. She slid out the door and walked as silently as she could manage down the hallway. She passed the kitchen, completely forgoing that room- it was a dead end. She shivered at the chill from the stone floor as it seeped into her skin.

Kagome crept past many more doors, but she was afraid to open them. Kami forbid she walk into Tobi's bedroom.


	286. Not Tobi

The hallway seemed to go on forever, and she nibbled at her bottom lip as she slid along the wall. She squinted at what she thought might have been a corner up ahead- and was the ground steadily sloping upwards? That had to be a good thing right? She clamped down hard on the panic that wanted to well up, she felt so exposed here, with no weapon, no shoes, her clothing was filthy and she was all alone.

She missed Zabuza terribly then.

The thought was dismissed when she came upon the suspected corner, and turned smashing directly into a body hard enough to knock herself back onto her butt.

"Ow…" She sat frozen on the ground, terrified to look up.

 _'Not Tobi. Not Tobi. Anyone but Tobi'_


	287. Shivering Swords and Old Faces

' _I take it back, give me Tobi, no- no nono_ _ **no**_ _'_

Standing above her was the very tall imposing figure of Hoshigaki Kisame. He tilted his head to the side, sharp teeth that reminded her so very much of Zabuza flashing from the corner of a lopsided grin. She refused to look at his head band; it might ruin what little composure she had left. The look on his face turned swiftly to surprise and then confusion when the sword on his back _shivered_ sharp scales slicing through the bandages that contained it.

His freaking sword had its own _aura_ , and it was quite possibly the most demonic thing she'd encountered in this world. It was like a lesser demon, all hunger and base instincts- and its sentience was not pleased to meet her- no, the damn thing was _terrified_ of her.

Unfortunately, most of this information only dimly registered in her mind. She was on the verge of a very serious panic attack; she could feel her breath coming in harsh shallow pants. She realized she was in a very bad position on the floor and she scrambled to right herself; her mind was a haze of fear.

The boy at Kisame's side held a scythe in one hand, and a neatly folded Akatsuki cloak in the other. His eyes flashed when he saw her.

"It's you, you fucking cunt!" He was so loud.

* * *

AN: Wow! Over 400 reviews! Thank you guys so much for reading my story, I'm so happy y'all are enjoying it!


	288. Goddess of Agony

"Hidan!" It came out like a squeak and she threw herself backwards the way she had come. He took a menacing step towards her, his face an ugly twisted expression of delight. Kisame looked from her to Hidan, but didn't move to step in. He did however put a hand on the hilt of his sword that was still attempting to shred its bandages.

"You have no fucking idea how much I've been thinking about you bitch!" His eyes burned as he drank in her figure. "That shit you did to me- it still fucking hurts! It hasn't even finished healing yet!" He was way too happy sounding about that. He thrust his arms out in front as if to show the woman her own handiwork. The skin was red and scarred in places in thick bands and streaks all the way up where her burning ki had torn through his flesh without mercy. It looked awful.

Kisame's frown deepened and he seemed to look Hidan over, and then his eyes flicked to her appraisingly.

"My goddess of agony, I'm going to fucking kill you this time for sure, Jashin-sama will be so pleased." He said it so low, so reverently she couldn't help but take another step backwards. She bumped into the wall.

' _Goddess of agony?'_ Kisame mouthed with a humored expression.

"Hidan- can't we talk about this-" Well it couldn't hurt to try; even if she was absolutely terrified of the boy. He'd all but raped her in that alley- and even then, the way he spoke gave her doubt that killing her was all he wanted. And then a thought escaped her mouth before she could stop it.

"How are you even here?"


	289. Bloody Mess

Hidan laughed. That awful hysterical laugh- at least it didn't have the drowning in blood edge to it this time.

"You're swordsman just fucking left me there in pieces, 'No time.' He fucking said; too busy dealing with your beautiful, broken, bloody mess of a body." Again he said this with way too much enthusiasm. His eyes roamed over her kimono clad form.

"These ass hole's found me." He said lifting up the previously neatly folded and forgotten Akatsuki cloak. He dropped it to the ground, and took another step towards her.

"How do you know my name?" He changed the subject quickly. "How did you know how to kill me?"

His smaller body stepped into her space, and she had to violently stamp out the ki that wanted to turn the boy to dust. He reached out a hand to touch her hair and she ducked under it and dived around him.

She got the feeling he let her. There's no way she could move fast enough to keep up with a ninja. Kagome made a pathetic whimpering sound when he casually turned to look at her, and his hand came to grasp the hilt of the three pronged scythe.

"Don't do this Hidan-" She begged, and his eyes only brightened more. Her heart was pounding, she was going to have to use her power, there was no way she was just going to let this creep kill her. She'd just have to come up with another plan with Minato- he'd understand-

Her breathing came I shallow pants, she could hear her blood rushing in her ears. Hidan's eyes were boring into her and they were so _red._

" _Zabuza_ " The plea fell from her lips, and she wished she could have seen him one last time before all of this. Did he even know she'd been taken? Oh Kami-sama she wished he was here.


	290. Orochimaru's Play Thing

Kagome took another leaping backwards step away from him, just barely missing the swing of his scythe that would have cut her torso in half. She yelped loudly and stumbled back into yet another body.

Kisame move forward faster than she could see and grasped Hidan's weapon and lifted his smaller body into the air with it. Hidan didn't let go of his scythe although if he did he would easily drop to the ground. Kisame's eyes held hers.

"Momochi Zabuza?" It was a question, and the name made her chest ache. She was distracted by a hand that came down on her shoulder. She flinched. The aura, although conflicted, and seemed a weird mix of many auras- wasn't violent. She recognized it enough and her eyes looked up into red and acid green looking down.

"Hey" She greeted weakly. It felt like a ridiculous thing to say, but like she had thought previously; it was easy to trust someone when you could see into their aura's and knew they held no ill will towards you. It was a huge contrast to the immortal boy in front of her who practically oozed violence and murder.

"Put me down you piece of shit! I'm going to spill this bitch's blood I've been fucking _waiting-"_ The Akatsuki members ignored the squalling boy.

"This one yours?" Kisame asked with a head tilt in her direction. Kakuzu's brows drew in. "No. Orochimaru's play thing." Kagome thought he sounded… unhappy about that. His aura was hard to get a read on emotional wise- it's like he felt five different things at once. Maybe it had something to do with all the hearts.

Hidan kicked at the air, but still refused to let go of his scythe. " _Fucking put me down ass hole!"_


	291. Savior

Kisame let go of his grip on Hidan's weapon and the boy landed on his feet like a cat and turned in one swift motion she could barely see, his scythe cocked back and ready to split her in half-

Whatever happened next it happened so quickly she didn't catch exactly what it was. Hidan exploded backwards like he'd received a blow to the chest. He smashed into the back wall of the turning hallway, his body hit so hard it created a crater in the stone. He slid to the ground, slumping forward on himself; his scythe clattered to the ground at his feet loudly. He didn't get back up.

Kagome let out a breath, eyes wide and blinked in surprise. Did someone just save her from that maniac? She was distantly aware that Kakuzu's hand was still on her shoulder- although he'd moved to her side instead of behind her. Kisame didn't seem to miss it either. His face was a grin full of sharp teeth and he let out a humor filled chuckle. The deep ocean that was his aura rolled with mirth.

"So," Kisame said looking at her. "Momochi Zabuza?"


	292. Seven Swordsmen

Of course Kisame would know him. The huge man in front of her was obviously older than Zabuza, but they were both members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. She just nodded at him in confirmation. He gave her another appraising look.

"He's not really the type to let his things wander off- but I suppose if snake face brought you here you probably didn't come along willingly." She made an involuntary choking noise and just nodded again, looking down at the ground. She didn't want to talk about Zabuza with this stranger.

Little bits of fabric were fluttering off his now mostly visible sword- if you could call that thing a sword. Its scales lifted and then lay flat in some kind of weird imitation of breathing. Kagome eyed it warily; this only seemed to amuse Kisame further.

"He doesn't really like you." He provided. She made a strangled sound but managed an "I figured."

Kakuzu's hand squeezed her shoulder, and he turned her away from Kisame and guided her back down the hallway. She fervently hoped he wasn't making her go back to that dark, empty room. Kisame followed after curiously, and all three left Hidan's crumpled body where it lay.


	293. Kakuzu Knows

The trio sat themselves at the same low table she had been at… a day ago? Two days ago? Kakuzu produced a bowl of rice and a bottle of water from a small fridge tucked into a corner of The Room That Did Not Fit Here.

"Thank you" She breathed, eyes wide. He didn't acknowledge he'd heard her and just sat at an unclaimed side of the table. Kisame continued to look supremely amused by Kakuzu.

"You don't belong here, miko." And the suddenness of his statement almost made her drop her water. She gasped and started at the man with tanned skin and off eyes. She got the feeling he wasn't talking about here, at the Akatsuki hideout.

Kisame perked up, looked between the two of them.


	294. Mathematical Theorems

" _What_?" Kagome wondered if this is how everyone around her felt when she would slip up and say things she shouldn't. Kakuzu's eyes became guarded.

"I have been alive for a very long time." He said this blandly; like he was telling her a news report or reciting mathematical theorems. "I have met one other like you, many years ago." He answered her broken question. His eyes flashed then and he seemed to take in her appearance. Kagome had no idea what to say, so she just gaped at him like an idiot.

"She looked like you, a relative perhaps?" Kagome felt like his behavior towards her made a little bit more sense if he knew what she was. Knew what she was capable of here- but to of met another miko in this world? The odds had to be phenomenally close to zero.

"What was her name?" She heard herself asking, although somewhere in her mind she was still desperately attempting to process this information.

"Kikyou."

* * *

AN: For all my curious readers, I have a one-shot fic planned based around this plot point for anyone who wants to see it expanded on later.


	295. Lock and Key

It had been two days. _Two days._ And it was quickly becoming _three_.

"This is unacceptable." Zabuza's grating voice broke the silence, but he didn't stop pacing. If that snake laid a single hand on her he was going to _skin him alive_ , no- that was what he'd do for taking her to _begin_ with. He hadn't slept, he barely ate. Everyone here was exhausted from trying to pick up her trail, but still Zabuza was _furious._

"We don't know where she's being held, we can't just go into Rain when they've closed their borders and aimlessly wander around until we figure out where she is. We need a plan, and we can't move without Minato-sensei- but he's busy trying to get Danzo under lock and key." Zabuza grunted at the white haired male.

Itachi made a frustrated noise as if agreeing with him.


	296. You Need to Leave

Kagome stared blankly at Kakuzu. Finally she managed, "You're joking." It came out very flat sounding.

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow at her. "I take it you know whoever that is?" It was Kisame who asked.

"You could say that." Kagome wanted to laugh at the hilarity of it all. Really, her incarnation had been here long before her? Maybe she really was meant to walk in that woman's shadow.

"You don't belong here. You need to return." Kakuzu repeated a little more forcefully this time. Kagome just shook her head sadly.

"I can't until my task is completed."

"And what task would that be?"

"I don't know yet." Because she really didn't know if the Kyuubi would be the end of it.

Kisame watched the exchange with a slightly curious, mostly confused expression. He was mostly doing his best to ignore Samehada who was clawing at his chakra reverses to get his attention. Whispering in his ear to flee this girl and never look back. He'd never experienced such a strong reaction from the sentient sword. Except maybe when Samehada ate jinchuuriki chakra; that always got pretty violent reaction.


	297. Offer

"It wouldn't be prudent to let Orochimaru experiment with you miko, and he will continue to search you out, even if you leave this place." Kakuzu sounded like his patience was wearing thin.

Kisame perked up again, he turned to look at her. "You need to head back to Momochi?"

Kagome felt white hot hope burn through her chest. _Was he offering?_

"Yes" she choked out. Kisame got a gleam in his eyes.

"Cool, I'll take you." He cracked his knuckles. Kakuzu nodded, and then gave her a piercing look.

"Find a better place to hide until you're task is complete miko."

"Thank you." It was all she could manage to say. Kisame stood up, adjusting the shivering sword on his back.

"We'd better head out if we want to avoid snake face. What're you gunna tell him Kakuzu?" The other man just shrugged.

"Maybe Zetsu ate her. Who knows?"


	298. Ascending Hallway

Kagome followed behind the larger man, her bare feet padding on the stone floor quietly. Kisame is a tall man, much larger than most the people she'd met in this world. Despite this, his steps were completely silent. The only sound he made was the rustle of fabric.

He cocked his head to the side and turned slightly to look down at her, he steps slowed for a moment until she was walking beside him.

"So," He began, and she thought the sound of his voice was a bit eerie as they ascended the sloping hallway. "What's your story?" The perpetual grin adorned his face, and Kagome could feel the amusement in his aura, mixed in with a sense of confidence.

"Aa, it's a little long." She said quietly. His grin sharpened.

"We've got time, little girl." It wasn't said with any kind of vehemence, but there was a sharp curiosity to him, he probably wanted to know how she'd managed to nearly kill an immortal like Hidan.

The torches that lined the stone walls crackled, casting a wavering light that made their shadows dance about. Kagome felt a shiver make it's was up her spine. This place was so _creepy._


	299. Displacement

"Kagome." She corrected automatically, and then flinched at her own bravado. This guy was walking her out of the Akatsuki front door and taking her back to Zabuza, he could call her whatever the hell he wanted as long as it got her out of here.

He paused, and turned to face her fully. Dear Kami-sama he was huge, he towered over her and for the briefest moment she thought she'd truly made a mistake.

"Hoshigaki Kisame." He introduced himself, with a very slight bend at the waist. Kagome returned his bow,

"Higurashi Kagome." Kisame chuckled and started walking again, she trotted to keep up.

"Let's be friends then, little Kagome." The words startled her, but she smiled up at him once they registered. They walked in companionable silence for a while, he'd seemingly let go of his question for now; but a strange displacement to the air startled her, and from nowhere a new aura popped into existence.

"Ah-ta-ta-ta?! What's this Kisame-senpai! Are you stealing Orochimaru-senpai's girlfriend?!"

Kagome froze, the color drained from her face, that obnoxious voice could only belong to one person.


	300. Almost but Not Quite

Kisame turned to look behind them in a smooth motion; annoyance flashed across his aura, but was quickly replaced again by his humor. Kagome didn't move aside from a feeble twitch in her fingers.

 _'We're almost out of here, why? Why now? I have to play this carefully; maybe the Kyuubi plan can still be salvaged... just- play it cool Kagome, we can do this. I'm just some regular girl with bad luck-'_

Kagome made a strange noise without meaning too, somewhere between a startled and nervous noise. The air displaced again, and the conflicted aura warped in the oddest sensation of becoming non-existent before it reappeared right in front of her.

Tobi waved his arms around in a frantic, dramatic kind of way before he jumped back and pointed an accusing finger at her. If it was possible, Kagome stiffened further, she felt nervous sweat slide down the back of her neck.

"Woah! Woah! Wait- Are you a new member?! What's your name? I'm Tobi! Are you really Kisame-senpai's girlfriend?" He spoke so quickly she had a hard time keeping up; as the words registered she forced her muscles to relax. Kisame shifted at her side.

 _'Like he wouldn't know if I was a new member, isn't he in charge of recruiting?'_

When in doubt be polite.

* * *

AN: Chapter 300!


	301. Personal Space

She bowed again like she had for Kisame, it felt more forced this time though. "I'm Kagome, It's nice to meet you Tobi-san." She introduced herself. Tobi's movements became even more exaggerated; he hopped up and down in place waving his arms wildly. The Akatsuki cloak he wore swung around him with swishing motions as he moved.

"Kagome-senpai! Kagome-senpai! Have you met all of my friends yet?" Here he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her forward. She stumbled towards him, away from Kisame. The leather gloves he wore felt cold on her skin.

"A-ah, I have- Kisame-san was just going to-" She tried to pull away, but Tobi's grip was strong. She clamped down on her ki, the effort was even harder than it had been when Hidan was invading her space. She briefly entertained the thought of frying him right here and now- but there was no guarantee Kisame wouldn't lop her head off. He was a loyal thing when he chose; if she remembered correctly from the manga, and right now she was still virtually a stranger to him.

"Tobi." Kisame sighed behind her, like this was just some troublesome situation instead of _Uchiha Madara_ _yanking on her arm._


	302. Meet My Friends

Tobi attempted to drag her back the way they'd come, and Kisame frowned for the first time since she'd met him.

"Tobi." He said again, this time it sounded like a warning. Tobi stopped walking; his white mask had an orange glow across its surface in the fire-light. His posture was still for a moment, and it genuinely scared her.

"Kisame-senpai, I just want to introduce Kagome-senpai to our friends!" His voice was whiny, but Kagome got the sense that there was also a warning in there somewhere.

"I've already met them Tobi-san" Kagome said again, and then gently added, "Hidan doesn't really like me much." Tobi's mask turned to her then, there was a flash of red in the eye circle and she quickly looked away, trying to make it seem like she was just looking over to Kisame.

His gloved hand tightened painfully around her arm, and then let go.


	303. Going for a Walk

"Are you going for a walk with your girlfriend Kisame-senpai?" The lack of enthusiasm in his voice was freaking her out a little, and she couldn't help but take a backwards step towards the imposing shark-man, whose intentions felt clear in his aura. Tobi... Tobi felt so conflicted, but one thing was for sure he had some kind of strong _desire-_ and it was directed at _her_.

"Something like that." Was Kisame's vague reply. Tobi jumped in place, all dramatics again.

"Oh! Oh! I see! I see! So romannnnntic! Don't let me interrupt!" He dragged the word out suggestively. He turned to her again, and she was careful to keep her eyes on his hands, his shoulder, the floor- anything other than his eye. He stilled again and she felt herself go stiff in response.

"I'll find you later, Kagome-senpai. We can play then, we're all friends here, and I think you'll fit right in! Don't worry about Orochimaru-senpai, I'll tell him Kisame-senpai is your new boyfriend! We _will_ be friends then." Kagome felt threatened by the words, despite the high-lit he had to his voice, and the way he seemed to ramble on.

She swallowed and hoped it wasn't too loud, and nodded to him, still keeping her eyes on his shoulder.

"Sure, Tobi-san." The words sounded weak.

"Bye bye then! You two be careful!" He vanished.


	304. Trouble Magnet

Kisame relaxed minutely, Kagome hadn't even realized he'd become tense. The larger man let out a huff and used a grey-toned hand to turn her back around by the shoulder and gently push her forward.

She was shaking, and she fluttered her hands about in front of her in a lame attempt at steadying herself.

"You attract too much attention." Kisame declared to her, before he started walking again. He gave her yet another considering glance.

She just nodded in agreement, letting out a shaky breath and trotted after him.

"That guy is creepy." Kisame breathed a laugh that wasn't quite right, but didn't comment.


	305. Disturbance

Tobi had been headed back to base when he'd felt the disturbance ripple through the air. It had snagged his attention immediately, and he stopped his running leap from branch to branch.

"Oh?" He said to no one, looking towards the strange sense from his perch.

 _'What the hell is that?'_ It was like nothing he'd ever felt before. A bright luminescent light shot into the sky far off in the horizon- somewhere over in Yugakure?

"Kamui."

And he was there, twisting through space and time toward the energy in the blink of an eye. He hovered over the dark alley way from an overhanging balcony. He felt his brow rise into his hairline underneath his mask.

A half-naked woman was being lifted into the arms of a man. Moonlight glinted off his slashed forehead protector.

' _A Kiri missing nin?'_ was he the source? He activated his sharingan to get a better look, and it swirled to life. The missing-nin's chakra was agitated, but nothing like the energy that was permeating the alley. Tobi was momentarily distracted by a boy's severed head that was screaming profanities about the girl. He turned his eye to her and immediately regretted it.

His sharingan burned. It itched and began to bleed so he looked away from the strange energy she controlled. The itching stopped, but he felt a trail of hot blood begin to drip off his chin from the short contact his chakra enhanced eye had with her power.

"Interesting." He wondered absently how much damage she could do if she'd been awake, or directing it at him.

The missing-nin and a small boy flash-stepped away with the girl leaving the decapitated boy behind, Tobi stepped from the balcony to land softly by the blond head.

"You're going to tell me all about what just happened here."


	306. Observation

He'd lost her there for a while, but he didn't lose interest in the strange woman. He knew she could be an asset; no doubt others would be scrambling to leash her as well. So he wasn't too terribly surprised when Orochimaru started to dig his nose into what little information there was about her.

Tobi didn't really trust the man, so he made sure he found very little- just enough to spark his interest, not enough to really understand what she was capable of. He did however, make sure that when he finally got his slimy scales on her that he would bring her to Akatsuki instead of down into some snake hole he had hidden away somewhere.

Tobi wanted to observe her. He didn't like the way Orochimaru attempted to manipulate her, but it did show him some interesting things. Kakuzu's reaction, subtle as it was, turned out to be a surprise. He'd be having a word with the man later.

Soon he grew bored of the sannin's questions; she danced around her answers, giving them without really saying anything at all. He was impressed with her, and somewhere an echo of who he used to be felt sad at how much like Rin she was.

Ah, Rin… but those thoughts were for another time.


	307. An Abundance of Patience

He made the snake leave; he was bored of the questioning. He wanted to see her react to things not be interrogated. So he sent the man off with his own summons to 'meet' with him somewhere. Somewhere far, far away.

He let her sit in her room for a long time, gauging her patience. She seemed to have an abundance of it. She wasn't angry, and what little fear she'd been giving off was quickly dissipated.

So he opened her door to let her out as soon as he knew Kisame and her would-be killer were coming this way. He felt an eager shiver make its way through him at the thought of getting to see her use that power.

Like a good little mouse, she slunk into the hallway. She wasn't very quiet, and she didn't move like a shinobi. This made him frown, how could she of possibly gotten to be her age and not have been noticed earlier? Surely someone would have picked her up for training. She held such potential with her… bloodline limit, or whatever it was.

He felt his excitement rise when her fear spilled from her, Hidan cornered her and her body language was ready to lash out- he just knew it.


	308. Interesting Girl

Kakuzu had interfered. Tobi felt so disappointed. He held in a sigh, but perked up at the thought that there would be plenty more opportunities to get her riled up. He listened with half an ear as his two Akatsuki spoke with her. She was kind, and seemed to get along well with anyone. He noticed an ease in the men that they did not hold around pretty much anyone else. These men- killers and murders seemed to gravitate towards her. How odd. Maybe that's how she came to travel with a Kiri missing-nin of all people. He was once again struck by the parallels with Rin, but he quickly let the thought slip away. She was kind, and everything about her was soft. She had such... _innocence_.

Interesting girl.

When Kisame offered to take her and go, he felt a flash of anger. That was not part of the plan. So he followed them until they came close to the entrance to make his appearance.


	309. Soft, Like Rin

She was terrified of him- even more so than Hidan. Why? He kept up the Tobi act carefully, only letting it slip to see how she would react. She didn't seem surprised by his change in demeanor at odd moments, but it made her wary. She didn't react to his insinuation at a relationship with anyone, or to his childish behavior. She remained wary, but polite. Most of all though, she reeked of fear. He didn't… like that. Rin had never been afraid of him.

When she looked away from his sharingan, and refused to make any more eye contact with him, he became suspicious.

She knew, somehow, what his eye was. But he also knew what she could do to him if she chose. So why wasn't she attacking him? He invaded her personal space, he touched her skin, he threatened her with his body language. He even went so far as to drag her back towards the inner compound- but still she would not attack him. Was she being kind? Too afraid to cause harm? She wasn't a shinobi… and she was so very much like Rin. Too soft, much too soft.

It made him frustrated. He resisted the temptation to truly drag her back, that wouldn't do. He wanted her to come willingly, like the rest of his Akatsuki she needed to believe in the cause.

"I'll find you later, Kagome-senpai. We can play then, we're all friends here, and I think you'll fit right in! Don't worry about Orochimaru-senpai, I'll tell him Kisame-senpai is your new boyfriend! We _will_ be friends then." He told her of his intentions to bring her back, and attempted to comfort her about the Sannin at the same time. It wouldn't do for her to fear the snake and let it keep her from him- from the Akatsuki.

He _wanted_ so very much for her to stay; she was so much like Rin, and her power would bring the eye of the moon plan to fruition without resistance.

Yes… the eye of the moon plan- that was definitely the reason. It had nothing to do with her resemblance to Rin. Nothing at all.


	310. Ame

Kagome thought the Land of Rain could be summed up very nicely by its own title. It rained, a lot. She trudged along behind Kisame, who seemed supremely unconcerned with the freezing sheets of water that was soaking them. They weaved between buildings with massive pipes and electrical wires lashed together that ran from building to building. Amegakure was a giant, wet, steampunk mess.

Kagome was barefoot, in only her kimono, completely sodden, and one hundred percent miserable. She looked up at her travel partner and wondered absently why he wasn't bothered by the rain.

 _'Oh, right. Kiri-nin with weird shark blood-line thingy.'_ He was probably a lot more comfortable in the rain than most. She made a frustrated sound and pulled her wet bangs out of her face, she twisted her mass of unruly hair at the base of her neck in an attempt to keep it out of her eyes; without a hair tie though the effort was mostly wasted.


	311. Cloak

Kisame's eyes slanted to catch hers, and he paused for a moment on the corner of a cross walk. He seemed to look her over for a second before he made a grunting sound not unlike the one Zabuza often produced.

For a moment there was only the sound of millions of raindrops hitting concrete and metal, and then there was the rustle of thick fabric and something heavy lying on her shoulders.

It was his Akatsuki cloak. It was huge on her, the ends trailed on the ground and her hands barely reached to where his elbows would inside the sleeves. It left her feeling like a kid playing dress up, or a geisha in those kimonos with ridiculously long sleeves and collars that constantly feel from their shoulders; but it was _warm_. The fabric was thick, and although her kimono was already wet underneath, the water that was still coming down didn't seem to soak through the cloak at all.

Kagome gave Kisame a bright smile, "Thank you" He grinned at her and they resumed their civilian paced walk.


	312. Settle Down

Kisame shifted the sword on his back for what seemed like the millionth time. They'd been walking steadily for the course of the day, and they'd broken the city line and crossed a bridge into empty plains about an hour ago. The soft grass felt much better on her feet than the concrete and hard packed earth had. Kagome had to grasp the extra fabric of her borrowed Akatsuki cloak through the voluminous sleeves to keep from walking all over it. Or with her luck trip on it. The wide brimmed collar kept sliding over her shoulder, but she didn't mind so much, she was still soaked underneath and the rain continued to come down but at least she wasn't cold.

"Settle down." Kagome looked up at the sound of the aggravation in Kisame's voice; but he wasn't looking at her he was gripping tightly to the hilt of Samehada, and the sword's scales were twisting and writhing about. He made an irritated hissing sound when a spike burst from the hilt right through his palm.

He dropped it to the ground, and it must have been very heavy because a cloud of dirt rose on impact.


	313. Good Humor

Kagome startled when Kisame kicked it straight into an outcrop of rocks, but she quickly turned to her friend and tugged at his arm, pulling his attention away from the sword that seemed to be developing a mouth.

"Let me see." She told him. She pulled the sleeves of the cloak back as far as they would go, bunching them up her arms and unfolded his fingers from around his palm with her newly freed hands. Blood was running down the digits onto the ground. "It's nothing." He told her, and he sounded… confused?

She glanced up at his much taller form to find him gaping slightly at her with a weird look in his eyes. It looked comical with all his sharp teeth and gill marks. She offered him a grin and a quip-y "It will be in a second." Kagome laid her palm in his much larger one, and she felt his arm go tense from his wrist that she held.

"What-" She didn't let him finish, and gently tipped her healing ki into his palm. Her hand glowed above his for the barest of moments, before she let go altogether.

She gave his dumbstruck face a cheerful smile. "All done!" He held up his hand for a moment, before looking back at her. A massive grin split his face, and his aura was spilling over with mirth.

"You are more interesting at every turn." He told her, and she couldn't help but grin back at him, his aura was pleasant when it had all that good humor rolling around in it.


	314. Making Friends

Kagome approached Samehada carefully, just behind Kisame. He knelt at the swords side and it seemed to still somewhat when he touched the hilt this time.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Kagome asked the shark man with no small amount of trepidation. Kisame looked over at her, a small frown tugging his lips downward.

"Not unless you can prove to him you aren't a threat." He said the words like he knew she couldn't, but Kagome was a master of making friends out of enemies. So she tapped her finger on her chin and looked skyward for a moment, considering her options.


	315. Good Boy

"Hmm" was all she said. She took another step towards them, and then another more confident one and kneeled down at Samehada's side with Kisame; folds of black fabric pooling at her feet. His brows rose.

"I was kidding." He deadpanned. She flashed him a smile, Kisame didn't know her well enough yet, but he would eventually figure it out.

She reached for her healing ki once more, bringing up a little more than she needed to heal Kisame. It lit up her finger tips that poked out from her sleeves with a bright soothing light, and she reached them out to touch a protruding scale of the now fiercely struggling sword.

The moment her ki made contact with the sword's aura, it's fearful crashing waves smoothed out, and it physically stilled. Its sharp protruding scales and bloated body seemed to shrink down in on itself, becoming smaller, less threatening. The scales lay flat against themselves until they all seemed to fit just so. The mouth closed and the seamed opening vanished.

Kagome hummed something soft to it. She didn't think it could hear, but it's the thought that counts. She stroked a hand gently down its side, careful not to catch her fingers on any of the wickedly sharp points.

"That's a good boy Samehada." She crooned to the demonic sword.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she giggled at how much it felt like she had just healed a little bit of indigestion for a lesser demon.


	316. Unabashed

Kisame was staring at her, and it was starting to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She glanced over at him, tugging at the hem of the Akatsuki cloak as they walked. He met her eyes, but continued to look her over unabashed.

"Uhm?" her eyes skittered away to look over the soggy horizon, avoiding.

"What are you?" He asked suddenly, and the sound of his voice startled her enough that she jumped, and then proceeded to trip over her swaths of fabric and land face first in the mud.

"Ow…" Kisame started laughing, a loud voracious sound. She picked herself up into a sitting position and tried to swipe the filth off of her face. She looked down at herself and drooped.

Now she was especially dirty, and wet. How she longed for a bath… She looked up at Kisame's laughing form; at least someone was getting a kick out of this. She stood and flapped her sleeves around trying to free them of mud.

"I'm sorry about your cloak" Her voice sounded gloomier than she would have liked, and Kisame's mirth ebbed away. He waved a hand dismissively after a moment.

"Don't worry about it." He told her, but his eyes were still full of laughter.


	317. It Doesn't Matter

After she tripped for the second time, this one being because her foot got suction cupped into a thick puddle of mud she hadn't been able to jump over- Kisame pulled Samehada from his back, and kneeled down low.

"Get on." He said giving her a sideways look with a tilt to his head. Kagome looked down at her clothes.

"But… I'm filthy." She shook the sleeves that were dripping with mud for emphasis. The laugher returned to his eyes at her antics, she was beginning to realize that he thought she was hilarious.

"Doesn't matter, c'mon we'll go faster this way anyways. We're headed towards Fire country I imagine since that's where snake face was coming from when he brought you in." Kagome chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before turning to look in the direction he'd gestured.

"Yea, alright." She finally agreed and ambled her way over to him. Even with him crouching he was still a very large man, she pulled her sleeves back as much as she could and reached to wrap her bared arms around his neck. His skin was warm, but he had nothing on Zabuza's furnace like ambient temperature. He stood in one smooth motion and brought his free hand to balance her to him. He bent at the knees ready to spring.

"Ready?" He asked, She nodded into his neck, feel exhausted and more than a little bit miserable. Like a half drowned cat.

He shot forward at a speed she couldn't comprehend, colors blurred past and the cold rain stung when it hit her face. She curled further into his bulk in an attempt to hide from it. When he chuckled this time she felt it reverberate through her.


	318. Helpless

Kisame liked this little slip of a girl. Although she seemed quite helpless at times, requiring the aid of the people around her to get her where she needed to be; he'd also seen the interest she sparked in the most uncommon of people. She'd caught the attention of no less than five Akatsuki members, himself included. She'd somehow managed to come to be associated with one of his old Kiri comrades, a man who had never really displayed much of an interest in things other than killing- as far as he was aware.

He shifted her on his back as he leapt over a fast running creek. She was sound asleep at this point; her arms hung limply down his front, the sleeves of his Akatsuki cloak trailing far past her fingers.

He thought maybe he should be more annoyed by her helplessness, but then he recalled the burn scars that mapped their way up Hidan's arms; a testament to her capability for brutality. A grin stretched its way across his face. Yes, she was interesting- and the way she behaved, the way she treated him like a normal person. Even her interaction with Samehada… it was… cute.

Such trust she showed to him. He wasn't sure if she was foolish or just… confident in her ability to read people. Kisame himself didn't exactly exude a sense of, 'I'm safe, come right over and lets be friends.' But she wasn't afraid of him- he found that curious. Not once did she react to him or Kakuzu like she had to Hidan, or even Tobi. She chooses such odd people to place her faith in.


	319. Cute

Tobi… that had been an interesting situation. If she'd been any more rigid during that encounter he was sure she would have snapped in half. It was odd; Tobi- comparatively- was probably the most approachable of their members in his child-like harmless attitude. And yet she had been so afraid the smell of it had clogged his senses.

He wondered at that for a moment. Maybe she really did have some ability to read into people, it certainly wouldn't be the weirdest thing about her.

Kisame broke into the tree line that suggested they were nearing the border to Fire. They would have to stop soon, it was getting dark. The Fire country line was at least another half day's travel if they kept up a shinobi pace.

She shivered against his back and murmured something in her sleep. Kisame looked back at her ruffled dark hair with her face buried in his shoulder.

 _'So trusting.'_ He couldn't help but think again. He gave a quiet huffing laugh.

Cute indeed.


	320. Bring Her Home

"You can't be serious Minato-sensei!" Kakashi was dumb stuck. He stared at the blond man who was scrubbing the back of his head with a resigned look on his face. He reached out to place a gentle hand on his ex-student's shoulder but Kakashi shrugged him off almost immediately; taking a step back from his village leader. He looked down at the ground and balled his hands into fists.

"I'm sorry Kakashi, but we have to start looking into other options. It's been over a week, and we still have no leads. Itachi-chan needs to be returned to his family if he isn't receiving training." He turned to look at the little Uchiha, and silently he hoped what he had learned would be enough.

Itachi's posture drooped, a frown marred his face and he was gaining stress lines from his eyes. Minato worried for the boy, they'd been following the Kiri-nin up and down the boarder to Ame for the last several days. Hoping to pick up a trail or find some clue- but Itachi was a chunin, and Kakashi was a jounin, by all standards they were adults; he had to treat them that way.

This is how Minato found them. Worn and ragged, but determined to find her. Minato was beginning to have doubts. If Danzo's words were to be believed then the missing-nin Orochimaru of the sannin had her. Minato didn't know if she'd be coming back from an experience like that, hardly anyone did- and the few that managed to come home… they were never the same person who was taken.

"I'm not leaving." Itachi stared his Hokage down from his much smaller vantage point.

"None of us are giving this up Hokage-sama, those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash." Minato had never heard Kakashi say anything with such surety before, and he felt both proud and saddened by the person who grew from his teammates deaths. He especially knew Kakashi was done now that he'd dropped the 'sensei' title. He sighed.

"A few more days and then we have to return to Konoha, we can come up with a better plan there. I'm not asking you to give up but I think we should regroup." He said with finality.

No one argued with him.

Zabuza could care less what the leaf-nin chose to do; they held no sway over him. He wouldn't stop until he had what was his returned. Haku stood beside him always, he would follow the man into hell. He would especially follow this man into hell if it meant bringing Kagome home.


	321. Iron

Kagome rubbed at her eye with the heel of her palm, yawning as she settled into the dirt. Her pointless chakra suppressing bangle slid down her arm and she gave it a considering look.

"Do you want me to remove it?" Kisame inquired from his place against a nearby tree. Kagome looked over at him, it was dark but there was just enough moonlight to see the outline of his large form, the shape of his sword as it slanted a sharp angle into the ground at his back. She felt a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth.

"Nah. I kind of like it." She held up her wrist to consider the piece of metal again. It was a plan utilitarian circlet made from iron with the kanji for 'osaeru' depressed into it with some weird squiggly lines that didn't mean anything to her; although she recognized it as some form of sealing design.

"Iron to bind the fey." She humorously mused to herself. She figured Kisame probably didn't get the reference but she couldn't really see his expression in the dark anyways. She yawned again and stretched her arms up and arched her back until it popped. She groaned in satisfaction.

Kisame made a weird noise.


	322. Ready

She burrowed into her borrowed cloak, pillowing her head on her arm. She reached up to pull the high collar over her head. It was cold; and as a shiver made its way down her spine, she took a minute to wish Zabuza was here. If this night had been like any other she would have finished brushing Haku's hair and the two of them would pile in for the night with their swordsman.

Zabuza was such a tolerant portable furnace.

Kagome closed her eyes and let out a discontented sigh, but fell asleep soon after.

It was hours into the night when Kisame felt their approach. He stood with all the sinewy grace of the predator he was. He flashed in front of Kagome's prone form to block a kunai that shredded through the air towards her.

He crouched, ready.

* * *

AN: Hello everyone, and welcome to the home stretch. I hope you've all enjoyed the story so far, and thank you for all your wonderful reviews and PM's. If anyone is interested, I have a sequel planned for this story. I hope to see you there. :)


	323. Stubborn Snake

Orochimaru was not pleased; he'd only been gone for a few days and now this? He'd thought it odd, but not unreasonable when Tobi ordered him to bring the girl to Ame. If she was really the prize everyone seemed to think she was then she had the potential to be very valuable to Akatsuki's plans. He scoffed, tightening a fist in his displeasure before he remembered himself and relaxed.

Akatsuki was made up of fools and psychopaths; he wouldn't stay here any longer than he had too- but it was becoming more and more difficult to pull away from the organization. They were quickly amassing power and he had hoped that with that girl's body… but if Kakuzu was to be believed that would no longer be possible.

His golden eyes met readable White and an unreadable Black. What Zetsu was exactly he didn't know. Orochimaru had attempted in the past to collect samples from the man, and after many failed attempts he gave it up as a lost cause and focused back on his body-switching technique. What he had managed to conclude was that the man was clearly not human, and seemed to be two separate entities living as one? That last part was only a rough hypothesis. With no way to ever prove it he had to let it go. Orochimaru didn't like letting things go.


	324. Stolen Prey

"You ate her." His voice was as cold as ice. Zetsu tilted his head to the side; White looked almost concerned in his confusion. Black was well… Black; he just held his perpetual frown. The weird plant matter that surrounded them made a wet crunching noise and then shifted to open a little farther.

" ** _We eat a lot of people."_** Black Zetsu told him. Orochimaru's face pulled down into a scowl.

"You shouldn't have done that." He hissed at the creature.

"Who did we eat exactly?" White inquired with that weird lit to his voice that made him seem like an idiot. Although Orochimaru suspected he was far from stupid.

"The raven haired woman I left here." Orochimaru grit out through clenched teeth. White's face morphed into overly dramatic understanding.

"Oho, that pretty little thing? Tobi sure does seem to like her, let her walk right out with Kisame. We didn't eat that human; she didn't seem like a good thing to eat anyways. She had that-" Here he fluttered his bare arms though the air above his fly trap exterior, wiggling his fingers in a childish 'spooky' gesture. "thing about her."

Orochimaru felt an irritated tick make its way onto his forehead. White could really get on his nerves- he rambled.

He rubbed his temple with delicate fingers. "What do you mean, 'walked out with Kisame.'" Black's face morphed into a feral grin.

 ** _"The Shark stole your prey Snake."_**


	325. Cracked

Zetsu didn't startle when the man disappeared in a swirl of leaves, he just grinned. White was pleased at what good fun Orochimaru was turning out to be, Black couldn't care less. His plant encasement made a nasty sound as it curled back up around his two halves.

"You did well." A voice said to his right, and he didn't need to turn to know who it was.

 ** _"What's the point of this."_** Black demanded with no small amount of derision. They turned to look at their leader then, and White's friend. Tobi made a strange noise, somewhere between a giggle and a choking sound.

"We are going to play a game." He said in an even tone that lacked the childishness he usually adopted when the other Akatsuki were around. Zetsu thought it was at odds with his choice of words. Maybe the man had finally lost it.

Tobi's image swirled in on itself, and then he too was gone.

 ** _"Seems like a lot of trouble for one human female."_** White considered his other half's words

"Maybe they don't know they can't eat her."

 ** _"Tch. Maybe."_**


	326. Cold Moon Rising

The air was cold, even the moonlight felt cold. Zabuza ran ahead of them, leaping from branch to branch. The only sound that filled the night air was their feet gaining purchase on the bark of fire country trees and the biting wind as it rushed past. Itachi's breath fogged in front of him, it burned in his lungs like only cold air could.

He almost missed the next landing when he felt it. He halted, sliding forward across the branch with his momentum. His sharingan swirled hot and red to life; searching for a signature he knew his chakra would never find, but one ki was felt loud and clear.

"Itachi?" Kakashi stood a few branches ahead and above him, having come to his own stop with a little more grace that his experience provided. The moon light brightened his silver hair, but cast his masked face in shadows. His body turned half towards him, and half towards the path they'd been following. Itachi saw him slide his head band up, his usually hidden eye following the boys line of sight into the dark. Zabuza appeared at the silver haired man's side, his skin practically curling steam into the cold air.

"Anything?" He grunted meeting his dojutsu without fear or hesitation. Itachi broke eye contact with the man just as Haku landed silently at his side. His senses spread out, reaching, touching signs of life like he never had before he'd met _her._ A bird, a doe, a rabbit...

He exhaled another visible puff of air.

"There." He breathed the word his eyes locking on a distant point only he knew. Fog began to spill from Zabuza's feet, falling from the branch he shared with his taichou to curl into nothing below them. Itachi vaguely thought it was quite the show of emotion for a man like him.

The two Kiri-nin met the eyes of two Konoha-nin.

 _'Finally.'_ They all thought at once.

They flashed away leaving nothing in their wake but the cold air that whispered through ancient trees, and glow of silver moonlight.


	327. Arrival

_'Two unknown Chakra signatures detected'_ Itachi signed to Kakashi in the din. He knew he saw though, spinning red eyes missed nothing. His taichou relayed the message to Zabuza who he seemed to be keeping up with better than Itachi and Haku could.

The man made a guttural sound that broke their silent rush through the trees. They were getting closer; Itachi was almost ready, pushing at his chakra to encompass it behind the barrier in his sixth gate. He needed this advantage, the two signatures were massive. He was sure he wasn't the only one who could sense them by now.

There was the awful screech of metal sliding against metal and Itachi found himself making the minimal body movement required to dodge a stray kunai.

The four man team came to a stop, feet hitting the same perch with a _crack_ that signified the end of their break-neck pace.


	328. Slashed Head Bands

Below them, was the largest man Itachi had even seen. He brandished a sword that was on-par with the size of Zabuza's sword. He had an odd greyish skin tone that he thought might have a blue tint in better lighting. He stood aggressively feet apart, hovering over a slowly shifting lump of black cloth with stark red cloud patterns.

The man's slashed Kiri-headband flashed in the moonlight and Itachi's eyes sought out Zabuza's form to see if there was recognition.

"Return her to me." A vehement hissing sound broke the seconds worth of silence. All eyes snapped to look at the other shinobi.

Orochimaru.


	329. Ownership

The grey man tilted his head to the side, his body language relaxed, which was only belied by how tightly he gripped the hilt of his massive sword. A grin split his face, showing rows of sharp vicious looking teeth. His chakra sang the song of blood-lust.

"I think Momochi here might have something to say about that." He said tilting his chin in their direction. Orochimaru took stock of their arrival, and a fierce scowl turned his lips down. The odds were not in his favor; but he was a _sannin._

The black puddle of fabric shot into a sitting position a pale hand reaching up to grasp at the hem of the larger Kiri-nin's clothing. The high collar slid backwards to reveal a head of raven hair, and wide fearful blue eyes that locked onto Orochimaru's crouched form on a branch opposite them. She made a squeaking noise and scrambled to stand. She was drowning in the black fabric; Itachi realized it must belong to the man at her side.

Itachi was not surprised to see she had made yet another ally out of some unlikely shinobi she'd crossed paths with. How she managed it though would forever remain a mystery to him.


	330. Why is it Always Kiri-Nin

Zabuza felt his breath catch. His heart hammered in his chest and the cold air bit at his flushed skin.

 _'She's alive.'_

His eyes flickered over to Kisame, assessing. He never expected to see the shark man again after his defection, and he wasn't surprised to see the deep slash in the other man's headband that matched his own. Kiri was a shit hole.

"Why is it always Kiri-nin Kagome-chan?" Kakashi sounded as exhilarated as he felt at the sight of her. The sound of his voice had her snapping her head to look at them, her mouth dropped open into a little 'o'.

Her wide blue eyes found his and he was struck by the emotion in their depths. _Relief, longing, hope, trust_.

 _"Zabuza!"_ She cried his name, and the sound of it leaving her lips was like nothing he'd ever heard before. No one said his name quite like she did. Something other than the cold sent gooseflesh rippling down his arms- his heart beat faster.


	331. There Was Only Ever You

Kagome's eyes snapped to look up into the tree opposite a very threatening and angry looking Orochimaru at the sound of a familiar voice.

' _Kakashi?'_ His words didn't even register in the wake of the realization that they were _here_ , her boys. Kakashi, Itachi, Haku and… Zabuza. They stood across a thick tree branch, weapons ready, sharingan's blazing. They played a fierce image, aura's flaring with a shape that Inuyasha's had adopted time after time. _Protectiveness._

Fog rolled within Zabuza's aura, spilling into reality reaching for her own with a sense of _longing_ that she knew her own was stretching towards him with.

She hoped she would never forget this moment; she burned their images in her mind's eye.

She almost choked on the swell of emotions she felt, something wet and heated rolled down her cheek, a stark contrast to the cold night air.

' _He came for me.'_ And she knew there had never been any doubt. Of course he was here, Zabuza never left her behind.

" _Zabuza!"_ His name left her, as if torn from her mind to tumble from her throat. She called for him like nothing else mattered, like he was the only human being she ever wanted to lay eyes on for the rest of her life. His eye's widened, the bandages stretching around his mouth and over the bridge of nose shifted as if he was speaking without any sound.

She was the first to move, a pale expanse of flesh reached out from inside the swaths of black fabric to the man she loved, fingers reaching-

The moment broke and an explosion of movement rippled through the area as everyone reacted at once.


	332. Summoning Smoke

There was an arm around her waist, it slammed her backward into a solid body hard enough to have her breath leave her- and then she was flying backwards away from the strike of a massive snake that still had summoning smoke billowing away from silver scales. It opened its mouth impossibly wide to show fangs as long as her arm, dripping with a vicious cloudy yellow liquid. The ground hissed in protest when the drips landed. The acidic smell of burning earth and curls of smoke rose into the air.

Not a moment later Kubikiribocho was slicing through its body, soft flesh and hard bones parting like butter in its wake. She felt the air displace in front of her as the sharp tip swept past- had she been one step forward that would have-

Blood rained down to join the mud and filth she was already covered in. She gagged, the cloying coppery tang filling her mouth and nose. The beast's body fell to the ground like a puppet that had its strings cut.

More pops and summoning smoke filled the air. Before she could even manage to move, black scales flashed in the moonlight from the corner of her eye; she tensed ready for a strike. She couldn't even keep up visibly with this battle- all the six seconds of it so far; all she could do was grasp onto the arm around her waist- whom she suspected belonged to Kisame- and cling for dear life.


	333. Lift

Kisame was lifting her, she saw in a detached sort of way as her bare feet left the earth and she braced herself harder on his forearm to keep some semblance of her balance intact. An explosion rocked the clearing behind them, trees cracked and crashed together- earth and dust rose only to be consumed by a thick cold fog.

"It'll be all right." Kisame's rushed words registered dimly in her mind. The heat of wet snake blood on her face, running down her neck and the front of her kimono was very distracting. She made a strangled noise that sounded kind of like-

"Uhek?"


	334. Sorry, Not Sorry

His arm tensed fractionally and his free hand shot out faster than she could see to snatch a tanto out of the air. A freaking tanto- who throws a tanto?

"Sorry about this." He said, and somehow she thought he sounded like he wasn't sorry at all.

And then he threw her like she weighed nothing- only a second later another body caught her. For the second time air left her lungs with a grunt as she solidly connected with this new person. Warm hands that wore fingerless gloves wrapped around her upper arms and hoisted her up over a shoulder. Her head felt dizzy-

She caught sight of bright silver hair and a quick eye smile, this close she could even feel the way he quirked his head and the shadow on his upturned lips beneath his mask.

"Careful there" He said jokingly.

Words left her as they flashed high into the trees. Yet another pair of hands- these ones much smaller, pulling and tugging her away, she sat down on the branch with a heavy thump. Kagome looked up at Kakashi ready to say something- what she wasn't sure, but she never got the chance.

"It's good to have you back." He told her with a sincere look and in the next moment Kakashi gave her his two fingered wave and disappeared.

The sound of another explosion quickly followed and she turned to grip tightly at Itachi as the gust ripped through so hard she thought for sure they'd be blown away. Her cloak snapped through the air behind her and she used her free hand to tear it open and let it loose into the air, it swept away and she didn't bother tracking it, too busy keeping her hold on Itachi to care.


	335. Lake

The tree they were standing on gave a very ominous _crack_ as the wind died down, which was quickly followed by the sound of twisting and shredding wood. The sound broke through the air, and Kagome found Haku coming up on her other side, both boys slid an arm underneath hers- looked at each other and nodded. They leapt with her in tow. Just in time for an impossibly massive amount of water almost high enough to reach their perch to come slamming through the tree line.

 _'Did someone spill a lake?'_

The tree was swept away a millisecond after their feet left its bark, flowing into other unlucky trees with a violent force. Kagome landed on a new branch with her two little ones on either side of her. She landed a little awkwardly her ankle giving a very unpleasant twinge. She hissed.

"Kagome-sensei?" Itachi called for her, she looked over to find both him and Haku looking out over an expanse of what appeared to be a newly made large body of water. Broken bodies of trees floated everywhere being pushed out to the edges of the clearing by the sheer force and amount of chakra in the area.

 _'Someone definitely spilt a lake.'_


	336. Allies' Safety

Kagome's hand reached out to grip Itachi and Haku's much smaller hands in hers. She gave them a squeeze; she didn't think they needed reassurance- but hell she sure felt like she could use some right now. They didn't protest or pull away.

"It'll be alright Kagome-san" Haku whispered reaching out with his free hand to lay it over hers.

"Hn." Itachi agreed. Kagome felt his ki flare and quicker than she thought she was capable of she reached out to stop him. Her hand landed on his arm and her ki moved within him on instinct to roll his own back underneath the surface and into the barrier. It was the fastest she'd ever managed it.

"No- It's too dangerous" She told him. He looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, but Kagome's eyes flickered over to Haku's very close presence at her side. Itachi understood- he couldn't risk their allies' safety so instead he let out a frustrated breath and nodded. For all his practice and improvement, he still lacked the control. He pulled on his chakra and let the familiar hum fill him. This, at least, he knew he could use with confidence.


	337. Return of the Paper Bag

Kagome crouched down and the boys followed her lead. Mostly she was worried she might fall- so she lowered her center of gravity. Haku released her hand to swing his bag around and dig through it. He pulled out a scroll and unfurled it with practiced hands.

"I have your things" He explained quickly, with a jolt of chakra her bow was tumbling out and she snatched it up from its fall with greedy fingers. Haku pressed her quiver into the crook of her arm and she wasted no time slinging them around her shoulder. The familiar weight of her weapon made her feel fractionally more at ease. She smiled to Haku gratefully.

He pulled out a brown paper bag that crinkled and Kagome gasped at the sight of it.

"Oh thank Kami-sama!" She quickly opened it and dug through its contents. Ink, paper slips, brush, twine, and several separate packets of beads. Kagome pulled one out and examined it for the first time.

' _It's made from bone. Perfect.'_ She wasted no time, and began to carefully string each one across the twine, alternating them between the red wood circles, the white bone circles and the odd elongated fang.

Haku and Itachi gave her incredulous looks, but she kept one eye on her project and one eye on the battle before her.


	338. Yellow Flash

Before her was a cacophony of movement. Kisame stood side by side with Zabuza, the two acting as a well-oiled machine as their swords rent through the mass of snake bodies around them. They flashed across the surface of the water as if it was just as solid as the ground- clearly at ease with the terrain.

Kakashi danced in circles around the pair spitting fire and electricity at the outer edges of the hoard.

Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen. Kagome felt her neck prick with unease.

Kakashi's chakra spiked for a moment, Kagome could feel him feeding it into the kunai at his side. He dodged under the strike of a snake that was easily three times his size, rolling across the surface of the water and springing up with a mass of chiping light in his hand which he promptly buried elbow deep in the creature's face.

In the next instant Minato was there his robes billowing away from his body with a fierce expression on his face. He landed on the surface of the water, and quickly the tide of the battle changed. With the presence of the yellow flash darting through the masses they became nothing but sinking bloody bodies that fell into the deep.


	339. Breaking Physics

Orochimaru bust from beneath the water to grasp the Hokage's leg and tore him beneath the murky surface leaving nothing but ripples in their wake. If Kagome had blinked- she would have missed it.

"Sensei!" She heard Kakashi cry out; but he didn't have time to react.

Kagome heart gave a vicious beat- and then another and another. Her skin grew cold with panic and her hands began to shake as she attempted to tie the final knot on her newly made subjugation necklace.

The air twisted above the water, the colors of the night sky seemed to swirl together as the rules of physics broke and into reality popped Tobi.

"Kisame-senpai! Hello! Where is Kagome-senpai?!" His piercing wail filled the deadly silent clearing.

"Shit." Kagome whispered to herself.


	340. Oops

Kisame's stance became hesitant at the sight of the new comer. Zabuza didn't miss it, nor did he miss the white masked man's cloak that matched the one Kagome had been wearing.

"Friend of yours?" He asked the shark as Kakashi slid into place next to them. His grip tightened on his sword, he didn't like this new appearance. His chakra is… massive.

Ripples broke the water behind them and a kunai came shooting out trailing a line of water behind it. It fell to the surface a moment later to sink back into the depths of the lake. No one batted an eye.

"Ah! So many Konoha-nin here! Kisame-senpai you have such very strange friends! Are they keeping Kagome-senpai somewhere? Is she here?" The man in front of them did a strange flailing gesture that set him on edge, speaking as if all his words were one long string instead of an actual sentence. The masked man pulled a kunai from the inside of his cloak, brandishing it like a thug with a knife and then proceeded to fumble with it and drop it completely into the water.

"Oops!" He cried dropping to his knees and fished his arm around underneath the surface as if he could find it. Kakashi made an incredulous sound at his side.


	341. Appropriately Named

_'Why is he acting like an idiot- what does he want with Kagome?'_ Zabuza didn't like that he had to ask himself these questions. He'd much rather just lop the man's head off and be done with it. He gathered chakra at his feet, preparing to make the first move just as Kisame answered his earlier question.

"Of sorts." Was his simple reply. The larger man shifted to kick away the floating body of a snake that drifted to close.

The masked man tilted his head in a considering sort of way. "Oho?"

"Tobi" Kisame called. "What are you doing here?" The newly dubbed 'Tobi' stood from his fruitless search for the dropped and long gone kunai and made a gesture of dusting off the front of his cloak.

"I'm here for Kagome-senpai." Zabuza didn't like that answer, nor did Kakashi from the way the man's chakra was spiking. Zabuza shifted his sword, the metal clicked into place as he held it straight out behind him, he crouched knees bent- and pushed off with a hiss of chakra from the bottom of his feet using the energy as the leverage he needed to shoot forward. His sword was swinging around in a controlled arc that spoke of many years of deadly precision before he even reached Tobi.

His weapon wasn't called 'decapitating knife' for nothing.


	342. Failure

Kagome watched as Zabuza slashed forward in a movement to fast to follow. A stream of fog swirled from the edge of the massive blade as it cut through the air with ruthless efficiency. Her heart sank in her chest when the perfect arc of his sword phased right through Tobi, who didn't even bother to dodge.

"Ah-tah-tah, not so fast Momochi Zabuza-san!" She faintly heard Tobi berate her swordsman.

"That's not possible…" Haku whispered at her side.

"Tobi's sharingan provides him with a space-time teleportation jutsu, it allows him to phase in and out of reality." Kagome explained quietly.

Itachi stared at her with wide dark eyes, " _What?"_ he breathed. The implications of that statement was not missed on Itachi. Kagome grasped his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze. She wanted to say something more, but both of them became distracted by the auras beneath the surface of the water.

Kagome stood immediately, Haku and Itachi following. Haku's reaction was a little slower, prompted by his companions instead of the battle beneath the lake.

"Oh no…" Minato's aura was flickering. Fading at the edges, she felt it attempting to reach out and grasp at his hiraishin seals- but for whatever reason his attempts kept ending in failure. Orochimaru's aura was beginning to swallow his much brighter one.

"He's injured" Itachi spoke from her side sounding panicked "They've been under there for a few minutes; he might be taking in water…" Haku added.


	343. Pray

Kagome slid the quiver and bow from her shoulder dropped the bundles onto the branch plucking up an arrow in a tight fist. She turned to her boys. Itachi looked wary, and Haku looked concerned.

"Sensei…" Itachi's voice held a warning, and she gave him an apologetic smile. She slipped her newly constructed necklace around her own neck for safekeeping. Kagome thought somewhere in her mind, that this was a really, really _bad idea-_ but she was far past caring right now.

' _Don't think about it, do what you have to do. Everyone gets out alive.'_

"Watch my stuff, I'll be right back!" She rushed the words out as cheerfully as she could. Haku's eyes widened in alarm and he reached for her-

Kagome had already taken the leap from the branch, arms above her head to guide her dive she slipped beneath the surface of the water leaving only ripples in her wake.

"Kagome! _No!"_ Itachi's voice sounded distorted in the dark water, but Kagome pushed forward clutching her single arrow and propelling herself toward the battle between two S-class ninjas.

' _Everyone gets out alive.'_ She silently prayed.


	344. Losing His Cool

Kakashi almost turned his back on the masked man at the sound of Itachi's panicked cry. It was only his extensive training and experience that saved him such a poorly thought action.

" _Foolish!"_ Zabuza's snarl rang out through the moment of silence that followed and Kakashi silently agreed with the man. He didn't know what was going on behind him and he hoped that the ice-user and the young chunin would be able to handle whatever mess the young woman had gotten herself into this time.

The choice was soon taken from them when Tobi hopped from the surface of the water and leapt cleanly over their heads with a cry of- "Oho! So she's over here?!" His image swirled and his body and chakra signature disappeared before he could come back down.

"Fuck!" Kisame cursed and the group swung around sharply and sprinted towards the edge of the lake where they had left Haku and Itachi to keep an eye on Kagome.

" _Idiot!"_ Zabuza snarled again, but Kakashi knew he wasn't angry- he almost sounded… afraid. The mist-nin was losing his cool. _'Compromised.'_

Haku and Itachi stood perched on the edge of a tree that had managed to survive the initial explosion of Kisame's water jutsu. They wore stunned and panicked expressions and they peered over the edge and into the water.

 _'No… she wouldn't…'_


	345. Minato's Burning Body

The trio came to a stuttering halt and all three found themselves quickly backtracking as a bright pink bubble flashed through the murky depths of the water. There was a rumbling sound as it got brighter and rose to the surface- the water became choppy and disturbed and quickly grew into a massive wave that they were forced to ride to the edges of the lake or risk coming into contact with the explosion of ki.

' _Sensei was under there…'_ He tried not to think about it, but the image of his beloved teacher's broken and fried body rose into his mind.

Kakashi watched as the energy burst from the surface with a spray of water that came down on their heads like heavy rainfall.

bodies went flying.


	346. Use What You Have

The water pressed heavy around her, and although her breath was holding for now she knew it wouldn't be long before she burned for air. Kagome had one shot- she had to make it count.

She kicked and swam toward Orochimaru and Minato's auras as quickly as she could, but the water currents pushed against her, fighting her every movement. Still- she pressed forward.

Kagome was almost on them- she didn't know if they had any way of knowing she was here since she had no chakra to sense but she couldn't risk assuming they didn't. She tugged on the chakra suppressing bracelet on her wrist thanking kami all the while that she had decided to keep it.

 _'Orochimaru's 'gift' will end up being the thing that saves his opponent.'_ She thought with wry amusement. A small spark of ki into the iron had a seam splitting down the side, it fell open and she gripped it tightly.

Arrow in one hand and bracelet in the other Kagome crashed into bright blond.


	347. Drown

She gripped his arm- he wasn't moving. She kicked her legs, dragging his much heavier form around behind her, he offered no resistance. She thought maybe he had something sticking out of his side but it was so hard to see-

Her lungs were starting to burn, but luckily _'or maybe unlucky'_ Orochimaru came to her. He slithered through the murk like a kappa and a pale hand shot out, parting the water to twine into her hair.

He yanked _hard._ Kagome choked on reflex and water filled her mouth and once it started it didn't seem to stop- Kagome started to drown.

She pulled tight on Minato dragging him towards her and through the haze of burning eyes and lungs and panic she circled the iron around his wrist. She held it there with her hand, unsure of how to seal it back together her brain too fogged to even consider any options- drowning is _painful-_

 _'Please let this be enough-'_


	348. Slitting Throats

His chakra shrank to almost nothing and Kagome forced her body that desperately wanted to thrash to twist around at an odd angle- still holding tight to Minato's bangle she brought the arrow around and down parting the water in one quick stroke.

She didn't hesitate when the tip dove into the flesh of Orochimaru's neck. A light bloomed in its wake piercing the gloom enough to reveal his stunned expression and the blood that was beginning to liberally mix into the water around them.

The light swallowed them, and she let go of the arrow to swing back around to Minato's limp body and grasp it tightly- clutching to his clothing the metal of the bracelet pinching the skin of her palm- she inhaled another gasp of water choking- burning- black and white spots filling her vision- _paindrowingwaspainfulburningburning-_

The last thing she was aware of was a rippling explosion. Orochimaru's hand was torn from her hair, his body flying away from her like he'd gotten a sucker punch from Tsunade. He cleared the surface of the water and left her sight.

Everything went dark.


	349. Spectacle

Tobi swirled into existence atop the branch the two boys were perched on. His body twisted slightly to avoid a handful of senbon that careened for his neck. They plunked harmlessly into the wood behind him. He leapt over a low leg sweep from the Uchiha boy, he was fast but he had a long way to go before he'd be trading efficient blows with the elder Uchiha. He batted away an ice jutsu with a casual wave like it was nothing.

"Tsk, tsk" He shook his finger at the boys. "None of that now." He swung his hand around to the water, pointing towards the growing mass of light beneath its surface.

"Watch."


	350. Disappointment

Her power burst from the surface of the lake with a heavy shower of water, Orochimaru's limp form shot out and slammed through several trees and out of sight before the echoing cracks of wood finally stopped. What was left of the birds in the area took off into the sky with cries of distress.

Minato followed only a split second after, and with a chakra enhanced leap Kakashi flew from the glassy surface of the lake to catch him, the force of the colliding masses had the silver haired Jounin crashing back to the lake below. His feet connected with a fallen tree floating about, it rocked beneath their combined weight.

As the light abated and the last of the water fell in heavy sheets, Tobi watched as the mist-nin raced across the surface of the lake. Kisame leapt into the water with all the skill of a creature that belonged within it. The two boys at his side didn't hesitate to fall to the water below the branch and run towards the epicenter of the blast. Tobi scoffed, feeling ignored but he quickly got over it. He was having too much fun to be angry anyways.

Kisame surfaced a moment later with Kagome's limp frame dangling lifelessly across his shoulder. Tobi felt his breath hitch. Was she dead?

That was… _disappointing._ Yes, that definitely explained the twinge in his chest at the sight of her unresponsive form.


	351. Counter Seal

"She's not breathing." Kisame announced to the people surrounding him. It was grim faces all around, and he was sure his own expression wasn't much better.

"Let's get her to the shore." And the group was moving again, Kakashi quickly following behind with Minato. As soon as they touch dirt they laid their injured comrades next to each other. They were a frightening shade of pale blue.

Minato's skin was steaming but he didn't appear to be burned. Kakashi pulled the sword that was impaling the blond man's side and quickly staunched the flow of blood with a glowing hand. A seal flickered across Minato's skin once the sword was gone; it dissipated with a hiss of quickly fading ink. Beyond recognizing it as some kind of counter seal Kakashi paid it little mind, the blood leaking between his fingers taking up most of his attention.

He wasn't very handy with iryojutsu, but he could at least clot a wound. Internal bleeding though… he needed to get to a hospital.

Kisame's chakra spiked next to him and blood-tinted water rose from their mouths.

"Neat trick." Kakashi mumbled, the shark man just grunted.


	352. Medic

Minato coughed first, heaving out the rest of the water on his own. He groaned, a shaky hand hovered over the side Kakashi was attempting to stich with chakra. He batted the man's hand away before he could touch the stab wound. Kakashi's eyes flickered over to Kagome, she lay there still, pale and unmoving. He brought his attention back to Minato.

"Sensei, we need to get you to Konoha, you need to see a medic." Minato blinked up at him in a daze as if he was having trouble comprehending the words.

"Medic..?" He mumbled. Kakashi nodded pulling back to bite his thumb and flash through hand seals. He slammed his palm onto a flat expanse of earth and summoning smoke puffed up to reveal a little wrinkly dog.

"Pakkun, run ahead and alert a team, we need a medic." The dog didn't hesitate, quite used to popping up in the middle of situations like this.

"Aye boss." and he raced off into the underbrush. Itachi crouched down at his side looking over the Hokage with a quick assessing sweep of his eyes.


	353. Dead Girl

"We need to confirm Orochimaru is out- and that other guy with the mask, does anyone know where he is?" Kakashi voiced the last part to the whole group instead of just the chunin next to him. Itachi stood brushing off his pants absent mindedly. "We last saw him… teleport to our vantage point" Here he gestured through the trees towards the lake.

Kakashi stood as well, Minato's unfocused blue eyes followed the movement.

"Stay with the Hokage, I'll check." And he flickered away before anyone could voice an opinion, with one last solemn look at the dead girl on the ground. It would be better if he wasn't here. People always died around him.


	354. Not a Killers Job

Zabuza shared a looked with the other mist-nin. Kisame's silver eyes flashed in what was left of the moonlight, the sun would be rising soon. Already he could see pink tinting the horizon.

And still Kagome would not breathe. How long could a person go without breathing? Zabuza didn't know. He'd drowned many shinobi, but it had never been his job to bring them back. He clenched a fist and crouched down beside her, Haku was patting at her back for lack of another way to help. He gave Zabuza a misty eyed look, but Zabuza didn't know what to tell the boy, so he just said nothing.

If Kagome didn't wake up… if she was…

 _No._ Kagome was _his._

He growled a strange noise in frustration. He'd only just gotten her back, this was unacceptable. Kagome was not weak. She _would_ wake up. His chakra flared to life, heavy and thick with taint and he layered it across her prone, pale, and lifeless body.

"Get up." He demanded of her, his voice sounded rough even to his own ears. Kisame gave him a pitting look and opened his mouth to say something, sharp teeth glinting- but he never got the chance.


	355. Aware

There was an uncomfortable sensation in her chest and throat. Like gravity had reversed and water was sliding up instead of down. Wait- why was there water in her chest?

 _'Oh right, that whole drowning thing.'_ Kagome cracked and eye open and slowly became aware that first and foremost, her chest really hurt- actually everything seemed to hurt. Secondly which quickly followed the first, was that she was soaking wet and freezing cold. She felt the hair on her arms rise and her skin shiver in protest.

The next thing she realized was that having water forcibly removed from your lungs without your body doing the work to actually expel it made the gag reflex jump start with a vengeance. With a supreme amount of effort she rolled her aching body onto her side and vomited water onto the ground. She gasped around the choking sensation as it burned up her throat and out of her nose and mouth. Air never tasted so good in her life.


	356. Trailing Fingers

Her teeth chattered and she felt a small hand pulling her sopping hair away from her face, another hand rubbed circles in her back. She could hear Haku making tutting noises behind her.

Crouched at her side was a pair of sandal clad feet liberally splattered with blood, in her haze of gasping breath she saw them shift and lean forward -a hand brushed gently across her forehead.

The fingers that trailed across her skin were calloused and rough- but most of all they _burned._ His aura brushed hers and Kagome summoned the energy to slide her arms beneath her and push up from the muddy ground. She shook with the effort- her joints creaking in protest, her muscles screaming from the strain.

She heard him grunt his displeasure and Kagome almost sobbed at the sound. His hands slid up her arms before grasping her shoulders to help steady her in a soggy drooped sitting position. She felt hyper aware of his skin on hers, the world seemed to drop from beneath her as her eyes rose to catch his.


	357. Right Here

She wasn't prepared. Her heart beat heavily in her chest; her stomached swirled with a nervous energy only adding to the horrible discomfort her body was in from her brush with death. His dark eyes held hers with an intensity she couldn't name. His brow in its perpetual furrow, jaw set and tensed. She saw his lips twitch behind loose, trailing bandages that showed swaths of his tanned skin.

Her hands came up numbly and she almost lost her balance from the shift in her center of gravity, but she persisted- reaching.

She didn't have to go far- _he's right here._


	358. Home is Where Your Heart Lies

Her fingertips grazed along his jaw, sliding between the loose battle ragged bandages. She reveled in the shape of his jaw, the heat of his skin. His eyes flickered away at the contact and he leaned more firmly into her palm. His eyes slid shut for the barest of moments, and then his hands that held her shoulders were pulling her forward. The world was in motion again and Kagome's free hand came around his bare shoulder and across his back to slide her searching fingers into the nape of his hair.

He pulled her flush into him, and she went without struggle. His arm found its place across her waist, another across the back of her shoulders, both grasping tightly as if she might up and disappear. He dropped his head into the curve of her neck, and she heard him inhale into her skin. He was silent in his appraisal, but his arms tightened further around her.

Zabuza didn't need to say anything; she was just as relieved and grateful to touch him as he was to be touching her.

Kagome felt like she was finally home.


	359. Foreshadowing

Kisame turned away from the scene in front of him with a slight clench to his teeth. Samehada shivered on his back, still excited from the battle.

 _'Awkward.'_

He looked to the Uchiha boy to find he was staring off into the trees in the direction the other Konoha-nin had left through. Red tomoe spun inside his eyes, tracking something Kisame couldn't see. He approached the boy, towering over his much smaller frame with his exceptionally larger than average one. A grin stretched his lips when Itachi's spinning red gaze briefly looked up to meet his. _'This kid could be fun to fight someday.'_

They both looked down at the Hokage when he made an odd noise. His face was slack and his posture drooped. Kisame turned away from the kid to crouch down at the blond man's side, curious.


	360. Vacant Eyes

Minato's eyes were dull and blank, and all though he was awake it was clear something else was wrong with this man. Kisame held up a hand and waved a finger in front of his face. Minato's unfocused eyes tracked the movement, but mostly in an absent reflexive kind of way. His lips were parted, his breathing even but shallow.

"Something's up with your Hokage, boy." He stood again, looking down at the sad excuse for a shinobi.

"I am aware." Came the soft reply from the young Uchiha. "He's on his way back." He added still watching something beyond the trees. Kisame grunted his acknowledgement.


	361. Coiled Tension

Kakashi stepped back through the recently made tree line. "Orochimaru is gone." He told Itachi who looked like he'd been waiting for him. He brushed past the grey-skinned missing-nin, who seemed vaguely amused by the gesture.

He looked away from the shark man, his eyes landed on Kagome and he felt the tension that had been coiling in the back of his neck and shoulders ease away. He let out a relieved breath and immediately stepped towards her.

She sat with the missing-nin she was so fond of, leaning into the man who seemed perfectly content to let her. She didn't shiver despite the cold and her wet hair and clothing.


	362. Clear Disregard of Self

"Kagome" His voice was some odd mix of relieved and agitated. She cracked an eye open, saw it was him and opened both eyes. An easy smile graced her lips.

"Kakashi-kun, I'm glad you're okay." Kakashi shook his head in disbelief. Him? Glad _he_ was okay? She had been the one to nearly _die._ He didn't hesitate to tell her this, despite the way Zabuza's eyes had opened to pin him with a glare that matched his frown. Or maybe his face was just like that.

Kagome tilted her head at him, wet hair sliding to the side across her shoulder.

"Aa? Well… I've been through worse. You don't need to worry about me." She said it so flippantly that Kakashi had to wonder how rough her battle experiences had been to spawn that kind of recklessness. Zabuza caught his gaze and the look clearly said ' _drop it.'_

So Kakashi let it go, not because he found the mist-nin intimidating, but more because now wasn't really the time to get into that kind of conversation.

She was alive and thats all that really mattered on the subject anyways.


	363. In Which Everyone is Exhausted

"We need to get the Hokage back to Konoha." Itachi was telling him, but he was much too distracted by Minato's odd behavior. The man was conscious… but not. Like an animal his eyes held the spark of life but lacked human awareness. That was… concerning.

"This has to be a result of that seal." He mumbled to himself. He came around when he felt Itachi touch a hand on his shoulder.

"Seal?" The boy prodded.

Kagome ambled over then, looking like utter crap. She was soaked, like all of them were. Her skin was too white and the underneath of her eyes too dark. She sat down next to Minato, testing the pulse at his wrist. A frown tugged at her lips. "What kind of seal?" She added to Itachi's inquiry.

Haku had taken her place next to Zabuza and the boy looked like he was about to pass out. It had been a long night. Kakashi let out a weary sigh, morning had dawned and he knew unfortunately that many of them wouldn't be getting any rest any time soon.

"I didn't get a good look at it, seals aren't exactly my area of expertise. We'll have to see if anyone in the village might know, or we'll have to call Jiraiya-sama in. We need to get him to the hospital regardless, I'm concerned about internal-"

Kakashi was cut off but a sudden twist in the atmosphere, light and shadow twining together in a spiral.


	364. Leader-Sama

When Tobi popped into existence Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin, eyes wide she stared at the white masked man swathed in the Akatsuki cloak.

He phased through a handful of thrown kunai and leapt over the deadly arch of Zabuza's blade.

Tobi held up his hands in a placating gesture, "Oh-to-to! I'm not here to fight, friends! Tobi is a good boy," here he turned to Kisame, "Leader-sama says it's time to come home Kisame-senpai." And then he tilted his head and an odd angle and the mask slid to face her. She looked away from the red gleam of his eye.

Zabuza flashed in front of her, sword held threateningly towards the Akatsuki. He blocked her view so she stood and stepped up beside him. Zabuza gave her a sideways glance but mostly kept his eyes on the masked man 'Tobi.'

"Kagome-senpai?" Tobi addressed her, but she refused to make eye contact, and just stared at his shoulder.

"Aa?" She asked hesitantly after it seemed like he might not finish whatever it was he was going to say. Kisame had uncoiled himself from where he'd been leaning against a tree and was taking steps towards Madara.


	365. Loyalties

"Kagome-senpai," He said again with that discomforting high-lit to his voice. He paused, and then- "Come visit us soon."

She got the distinct feeling that's not what he'd meant to say. Zabuza made a guttural sound and Kakashi inched toward the vacant looking Minato, kunai in hand. Itachi was taking careful steps towards Haku who had become something of his battle partner in the time they'd spent together.

Kisame sighed gustily and tightened the straps that held Samehada to his back. "Let's go then." The two Akatsuki gave her a lingering look before they turned their backs and started walking away. Kagome felt her heart drop a little to see her new friend leaving; but she knew he had his loyalties, and he'd done so much for her already. It was ridiculous to think he'd leave the organization anyways. Kagome's eyes flashed to Zabuza for the briefest of moments, _'Besides it's going to be hard enough to sneak one missing-nin into Konoha, let alone two.'_

But she couldn't bring herself to leave it at this; it felt too… empty. So Kagome did what Kagome did best- something stupid and probably reckless.

She pushed off the balls of her feet, and dashed forward. Zabuza made a surprised grunt and Kakashi reached out just a moment too late.


	366. Parting Words

"Kisame!" She called breaking past a couple of trees at a run. The two Akatsuki paused and turned back to watch her rapid approach.

Kisame started chuckling before she even took the clumsy leap, crashing into his person. She wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed. He could smell the salt in her tears, and patted the top of her head gently, completely unused to people… hugging him.

"Thank you for everything." She said looking up at him. He felt the grin stretch his face, probably showing entirely too many teeth- but she didn't balk from him, she just returned his grin with a smile.

"No problem little Kagome." And she felt his voice rumble standing so close. She took a step back; her hands sliding away from his warmth, she kept her eyes locked with Kisame's silver ones "Stay alive." She told him, his grin just spread further humor shining in his eyes. She gave a brief look to the silent Tobi. His head was tilted slightly as he watched their exchange. Her thoughts spun for a moment, considering. Should she say anything to him? Would it really even matter? Madara was pretty set in his ways; the curse of hatred was serious business.

She could hear footsteps coming up behinds her- _'now or never I guess.'_

"Tobi," She called softly, and this time she didn't flinch away when the spinning red behind his mask caught her blue. She smiled a soft, slow thing. Madara had lived a hard life and even though he was a complete nut case; Kagome never found it difficult to feel for other people's plights.

"Find something to love."


	367. Defect

The rain fell around them with a soft pitter-patter, the overflowing river was a loud rushing sound beneath the bridge they crossed that would bring them back into Ame. Kisame didn't seem to mind being completely soaked, Tobi didn't necessarily mind either but he wasn't as comfortable as the water-natured man beside him.

Their journey back to base had been quiet, both men wrapped in their own thoughts. Although they didn't know it but they subject they contemplated was the same. Tobi grumbled to himself, tired of thinking about the raven haired woman.

"Kisame-senpai, do you think Orochimaru-senpai is going to defect?" He broke their quiet reprieve in an attempt to sway the subject in his mind to something else.

Kisame grunted in an unconcerned kind of way. "From Akatsuki? Probably. That snake wouldn't know what loyalty was if it hit him in the face."

Tobi didn't say anything to that, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't seen it coming. Orochimaru's goals were too different from what Akatsuki's ultimate plan wanted to achieve. He hummed noncomentally.


	368. Peace

"I wonder if Kagome-senpai would join." Oh, oops he hadn't meant to say that out loud. Damn.

Kisame spared him a sideways look and ducked under a low overhang that ran the length of the sidewalk they were crossing.

"I doubt it." Tobi waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn't he felt the need to prompt the man. Kisame seemed to know her better after all. Maybe he could shed some light on his turbulent thoughts about her.

"Why not?" He whined a minute later. Kisame scowled at him.

"She's to kind, too soft." Tobi had come to a similar conclusion about her, and he brightened at the words of confirmation.

"That's great! I think she would support the goal of peace, don't you Kisame-senpai?" The shark man gave him a look that clearly said _'I think you are an idiot.'_ The two of them turned down a nondescript looking alley way.


	369. Reactionary

"We are shinobi, we create violence to meet our ends, we instigate it." It was Tobi's turn to scowl behind his mask. He held up his ring to the hidden seal on the entrance to their base and it lit up before the doorway dissipated. The two stepped through and started down the sloping hallway and the door sealed behind them.

"She blew up Orochimaru-senpai though!" Kisame huffed a laugh and his eyes brightened at the memory.

"Yea, she's got power, but she's purely reactionary. She doesn't go looking for the fight- again she's not shinobi." Kisame was saying as he shed his wet tank top. The larger man stopped at a door that looked exactly like all the others lining the hallway and pushed it open. He paused for a second looking back at the masked man who liked to pretend to act the fool.

"I wouldn't be opposed to having her around if anyone ever did manage to convince her though- but I doubt she would." And he shut the door in Tobi's face.


	370. Return

Kagome clung tighter to Zabuza's back as he made a particularly impressive leap over a swath of large tree branches. The mist-nin landed lightly for the barest of moments before he coiled and sprung to the next. He kept the pace Kakashi had set with ease, Itachi and Haku were only slightly behind them. Minato was still out of it so they'd tied his arms around Kakashi's neck so he could carry the blond man. It was kind of comical looking since Minato was quite a bit larger; it didn't seem to hinder Kakashi's chakra enhanced endurance though.

Kagome blinked blearily before she finally stopped fighting it and laid her head down on Zabuza's shoulder; his warmth only adding to the lull induced by fighting and a sleepless night. She resisted the desire to run her fingers up the back of his neck and into his hair. She didn't want to be a distraction. Her fingers twitched with the effort.

His aura shifted at her action, startling her for a second, thinking she had made him uncomfortable with taking the liberty- but that wasn't it. It had become smooth and thick and it brushed along hers encouragingly, his heated hands curled tighter around her thighs.

He radiated _satisfaction-_ and _contentment._ If Kagome had been born a cat she was sure she would be purring.

A soft smile curled across her lips, and his eyes slanted to look at her. She didn't notice though, her own already closed.


	371. At the Gates

"Is she asleep?" Kakashi asked him as they took another leap in tandem. He grunted an affirmative, and Kakashi shifted Minato higher on his back.

"The Konoha team I sent for should be meeting up with us soon; you'll have to make yourself scarce." Kakashi told him. "Follow along behind until we reach the gates and I'll come back out to guide you in." he reiterated the plan to the mist-nin.

Kakashi would have preferred hands down that the mist-nin agree to stay behind, but seeing as how Kagome was going he had flat out refused. Kagome assured him that she and Minato were following a set course of action and her presence was required within the village. Kakashi didn't like it but he trusted her enough to know she wasn't a liar. Haku wasn't going to be too much of an issue since the boy had no real village affiliation, no bingo book entry and was virtually an unknown. It wouldn't be as easy as just walking right in, but with Kakashi and Itachi vouching for him it was do-able.


	372. Send for Jiraiya

The mist-nin though… Kakashi didn't trust the man.

At all.

What he did trust though was his attachment to Kagome. Zabuza wouldn't make any trouble if it meant endangering the girl, and making trouble on Konoha's home turf would be a very poorly thought action to begin with. It was true that Konoha was on less than friendly terms with Kiri, but his instincts assured him that the missing-nin couldn't care less about what his old village wanted.

Zabuza gave him a piercing look before breaking off from the main group. Kakashi felt secure in the knowledge that his chakra became virtually undetectable a few minutes later. As long as the retrieval team didn't show up with a powerful sensor Zabuza would be able to trail along behind without detection. Konoha wasn't exactly known for its overly powerful sensors, that was more Kusa's thing, so the odds were slim.

It wasn't long after when their small group came to a stop, just as a team of four ANBU flashed in front of their path. Kakashi recognized Tenzo's cat mask at the forefront of the group.

"We need to get Hokage-sama to the hospital quickly, someone send for Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi informed them while handing Minato off to Tenzo. He felt slightly relieved from the burden of carrying the man; he was at his limit already.

One of the ANBU he didn't immediately recognize looked to Tenzo- who nodded, and flashed away to carry the message to send for the white haired sannin.

Another stepped forward with a glowing green hand to look over Minato, after only a minute the bird-masked figure stepped away.

"It is beyond my abilities, some kind of seal. He has minor internal bleeding and a concussion." A female voice stated, confirming Kakashi's thoughts.


	373. Vouch

"What about this one?" Tenzo tilted his head in Haku's direction, who stood placidly next to Itachi.

"Itachi and I can vouch for him. The Hokage has business with the boy." Tenzo said nothing for a long moment, but nodded eventually. He had an idea of what was going on but wouldn't be able to voice any questions without breaching the S-class secret.

The other ANBU looked to their Taicho again for confirmation, and upon receiving it the group as a whole set off for the gates.

Kakashi prepared himself for several more long hours without sleep.


	374. Sunsets and Skin

Important AN: Please note the rating for this fic has changed.

* * *

Kagome woke with a startled gasp. She was tucked into Zabuza's lap, and they seemed to be perched high into a tree. The sunlight was growing dim, what little of the sky she could see had deep red and orange hues. She could only assume this is where they'd be waiting for Kakashi to retrieve them later that night.

The beautiful sunset was not what had woken her though, no- that belonged to the calloused skin of Zabuza's hand as it trailed up the back of her shirt. He murmured something in his deep baritone and used his free hand to start pulling away at his bandages absently.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat when he made eye contact with her. His irises were dark, and his eyelids drooped in a heavy kind of way. It seemed very… _intimate._ Her breath hitched, caught for a moment by the flutter in her stomach.

He broke eye contact and leaned farther into her, bringing his chest flush with hers and leaned down to trail his lips across her shoulder and up her neck; gently tugging at the material of her clothing to expose her skin.


	375. Teeth

Zabuza's sharp teeth grazed across her pulse.

Oh

She squirmed in his lap, an odd keening sound falling from her lips- suddenly feeling overheated and flushed. She laid a hand flat on his chest, unsure of what to do but wanting to touch him back. She felt like she couldn't sit still with every new touch across her skin and her legs flexed on either side of him unconsciously.

His hand gripped her hip tightly; his thumb pressing into the dip where hip became leg and he dragged her further forward in a languid, purposeful motion.

" _Oh-"_ She stopped fidgeting, her face heated and her breath left her in short little huffs.

She gasped again in a sound she didn't recognize from herself. She allowed her fingers to comb into his hair encouragingly.


	376. Forever is Only for Now

"Zabuza-" She tried to call his attention away from the space behind her ear reluctantly. His chest rumbled against hers in acknowledgement but he didn't seem interested in stopping. Heat was coiling uncomfortably in her belly with every new touch of teeth and tongue. His hand was brushing the underside of her breast in an absent kind of way. Kagome thought there was nothing absent about it.

"Stay with me." He murmured in her ear. The sound of his voice- and choice of words had her flushing across her cheeks and down her chest in a heated flash of _want_. The pressure in her belly became unbearably tight, she felt like she was going to break. She bit her lip harshly, a strangled moan escaping her.

"Zabuza," and he loved the way she said his name, "You know I can't-" Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, and he did. He brought his hands up to cradle both sides of her delicate jaw. He tilted her face to look up into his and held her eyes for a moment.

He swiped a thumb over her bottom lip his eyes traced the lines of her features as if attempting to memorize them.

"Just this. Just for now." He said softly, almost in a resigned kind of way. She let go of a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Okay." She said just as softly, and he leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

Kakashi stood rooted to the spot. He felt a flush burn across his cheeks and he held in an awkward cough like it might murder him if he made a sound. Kagome though, seemed to have no qualms about the making sound thing.

The mist-nin glanced up from her bared skin to give him a violent look that clearly said _'Leave. Now.'_

Uh- Right- Yes, that's a good idea, he'd just... come back later. Yes right- later-

He turned and fled like the hounds of hell were upon him.


	377. Lucky Lucky

Jiraiya had had an uncommon amount of luck today, a little bit too much actually. He looked down on the beautiful woman who was draped across his lap, squeezing his upper arm between her bountiful breasts. She looked at him with wide green doe-like eyes. He took another drink of the sake on the table and contemplated how he had ended up here. Another woman across the table giggled a sweet, high pitched laugh as her kimono slid down her arm to reveal a pale expanse of flesh. He laughed with her, loud and joyous at her jokes. He stroked a hand through the hair of the woman in his lap, enjoying its silky texture.

These two beautiful woman whom he had met in a bar here at Otafuku Gai had been hanging on him all night before inviting him back to their hotel room.

The shinobi in him said to be wary of their motives, but the super pervert in him said everyone was wearing entirely too many clothes. This wasn't the first time Jiraiya had been asked back to a beautiful woman's room, no- not by a long shot. Two though, that was quite the stroke of luck and they had been the ones to approach him now that he was thinking about it…

So that left two possibilities; either they were enemy-nin looking to make a bounty or they were completely genuine and something horrible was about to happen to tear him away from these beauties.

His internal musing was answered when a knock came at the door.

"Who could that be?" The woman who told the best raunchy jokes he'd ever heard stood from the table, her hips swayed as she approached the door enticingly. Jiraiya appreciated every curve she had to offer unabashed.

"Can I help you?" She asked the man at the door. Jiraiya sighed at the sight of the ragged looking Konoha shinobi.

Damn.


	378. Zabuza is Amused

Kakashi wouldn't look at her, and it was kind of starting to make her worried- if not freak her out a little bit. She snuck a glance at Zabuza who was walking at her side, his steps as silent as ever. Come to think of it so were Kakashi's. Her bare feet padding along the underground tunnel was the only sound in the dimly lit passage way.

Zabuza looked down to meet her eyes as if sensing she'd been staring. So flicked her eyes over at Kakashi who walked ahead of them, leading the way through the abandoned ANBU tunnel. She tilted her head and mouthed 'whats with him?'

Zabuza's aura lit up with barely contained amusement, which she recognized as a form Kisame's often held. She'd never seen it in her Kiri-nin though...

Her brows furrowed when his lips quirked at one corner... did she miss something? She looked back over at Kakashi and caught his eye for the barest of milliseconds. What was visible of his face turned beat red and he looked away quickly.

 _'What the hell?'_

Wait... oh kami- could he tell? He was a ninja, maybe he had a sense of smell like Inuyasha and his half-brother did?

Kagome ducked her head into her shoulder and took a subtle sniff of herself. She didn't think she smelled like... well.

Zabuza startled her with a deep rumbling chuckle that broke the silence and she snapped her head up to look at him. He was still watching her, his eyes glowing in a way she found very attractive.

Kakashi just cleared his throat and coughed awkwardly.

 _'Oh crap he definitely knows.'_


	379. Precious Metal

Kagome tugged at the knot, and it came loose with the sound of slipping nylon. She clutched at the metal, folding the long excessive amounts of fabric around it before slipping the precious token into the fold of her kimono. She gave Zabuza a tentative smile, which he returned with the brush of his hand across her cheek as he stood again. She thought he looked kind of... exposed without his forehead protector. Which was funny considering what they been up to a few hours prior. She felt her breath catch, and her face heat with the very fresh memory. He gave her a knowing look, which didn't help the blooming heat in her belly at all.

Kakashi just nodded and pushed at the trap door that would let them out into the street of Konoha. He leapt through it, and out of her sight for a moment before his arm reappeared, reaching down for her to take.

She grasped his hand, the cool fabric of his fingerless gloves was a strange sensation against her skin- at odds with the warmth of his fingers. He hauled her upwards with ease and deposited her on the ground outside. Zabuza joined them a moment later and the leaf-nin dropped the trap door back down, leaving no trace that it had even been there at all. Not even a seam on the ground.

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AN: Wow! 700 reviews! I'm totally floored you guys, I don't even know what to think- Thank you all for your support and encouragement, it really is appreciated. I hope you enjoy the future chapters to come!


	380. Break In

The moon was almost full, so there was quite a bit of light to see by as they snuck around buildings and down alleyways. Kagome would of liked to get a better look around, but she understood the urgency of the situation.

She really wanted to know where they were going- but she didn't dare make a sound. She was already making a lot more noise than the two males. Kakashi took a sharp right, and Kagome followed him only to smack into his back. Zabuza's hand appeared on her shoulder; steading her and keeping her from falling on her butt.

Kakashi turned his head to look at them and make a quick shooing gesture. Zabuza pulled her back around the corner, but Kakashi didn't follow. It was a few, tense minutes where she was sure everyone could hear the pounding of her heart.

What would happen if they were caught? Without Minato to back them up, Zabuza would surely end up in T&I... or worse- and Kakashi, sneaking a missing-nin from Kiri into the walls of Konoha. He was risking so much to do this for them...

Zabuza's hand brushed through the ends of her hair, calling her attention to him. His face was unreadable, but his aura rolled about hers in a calming way; with slow lazy caresses.

She gave him a tense smile, and reached out to grasp the seam of his shirt. He didn't mind, and the tactile sense of him made her feel a little bit safer.


	381. Trapped Window

She winced at the harsh squealing of rusty metal as the stairs to the fire escape came down. 'Holy crap that was really loud.' She took a quick look around the empty alley. There was no one around and she couldn't sense any aura's near them. Kakashi gave them a universal 'follow' gesture as he loped up the rickety stairs. Kagome and Zabuza right behind him, and once again she was reminded of how much noise she made compared to the two.

They ascended three flights, passing darkened windows on each landing before they stopped at a window that looked like all the others.

Kakashi made some quick hand seals before touching two fingers to the glass. A wire she hadn't noticed snapped away from the surrounding brick and an explosive note fluttered down into his waiting palm. He pocketed it and pulled the window open.


	382. Orange Book and Shuriken Print

Zabuza shut the window behind them, and drew a pair of thick black curtains across it. A light flicked on and Kagome realized they were in an apartment.

It was tiny, just barely larger than her bedroom at home. A twin bed with shuriken print covers that were neatly made was tucked into a corner. A small book case that sported a wide array of titles, including one bright orange one at the bottom corner- which she didn't miss, leaned against the wall near what she assumed was the front door. A potted plant that was very dead sat on a low lying table in the center of the room. There was no kitchen, and there didn't appear to be a bathroom door anywhere.

She remembered Naruto's apartment building had a sort of communal bathroom in the manga, maybe Kakashi's was the same? She definitely knew this was Kakashi's apartment- the little orange book and the duvet cover gave it away.


	383. Silent Understanding

Kakashi turned to face them, a very serious look in his one visible eye. Kagome understood, them being here was an extremely dangerous situation for all parties involved. At least until Minato snapped out of it.

"You'll stay here, don't go out, don't wander around." He turned to look at Kagome, "Even if you seem like a civilian, and even though Konoha is a large village someone is bound to recognize that you don't belong here. It will only raise questions." She nodded. She wasn't planning on it anyways.

Zabuza grunted his agreement next to her. Some kind of understanding seemed to pass between the two, and Kakashi didn't single him out with any words like he had for her. Zabuza probably had a better understanding of the inner-workings of hidden villages than she did anyways.

"Jiraiya-sama should be here by morning, or the afternoon tomorrow. I'm going to head back to the hospital until then, I don't want anyone coming here looking for me." Kagome ambled over to the table to sit while he spoke, she busied herself with sweeping the dead leaves from the plant into a little pile for lack of anything to do.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Kakashi shook his head, "I'm not sure honestly, I'll let Jiraiya-sama know you're here, but he's the expert seal master- and Orochimaru was once his teammate. If anyone can help sensei it's him." She nodded again feeling a little put out.

Kakashi heaved a sigh. "This is only temporary, everything will sort itself out soon." He reassured her.

"Yeah, I'm sure it will." She agreed, the dead leaves made crunching sounds under her fingertips.


	384. Loud Aura

Kagome laid down on top of Kakashi's bedspread a few hours after he'd gone. She hoped he wouldn't mind. She was tired, and the floor didn't look very appealing. Zabuza flicked the light off, and sat himself on the floor to lean back into the side of the bed.

She busied herself by running her fingers up his neck and through his hair. It was soft and dark and made a pleasant contrast against her pale skin. He made that rumbling sound that was purely Zabuza and laid his head back onto the fabric. So she switched to his spiky bangs that sort of flopped forward in the absence of his forehead protector.

Her movements halted, and she tensed, looking towards the shuttered window. Zabuza tensed as well, reacting to her.

"What is it?" He asked in a low whisper.

"I think someone's coming." She replied in the same hushed voice. The aura was hard to miss, it was so... loud. A minute later there was a clatter outside and someone was rapping loudly on the window pane.

Kagome and Zabuza were up in a flash, Zabuza pulling her against the wall next to the window.

"KAKASHI! MY RIVAL! I have come to greet you from your most concerning of absences! PLEASE COME TO GREET YOUR GREATEST FRIEND."

Oh goodness he really was obnoxious. The rapping at the window continued.


	385. Zabuza Has a Plan

The obnoxious tapping continued. Zabuza grit his teeth; the hope that the leaf-nin would just leave if no one came to the window was slowly fading. He would have to do something. His gaze drew down to look at Kagome, who was looking up at him with wide eyes. He grunted quietly, and she bit her lip in an appealing way.

"What should we do?" She whispered lowly. He leaned in, pushing her back further against the wall and caging her in with his arms. Time for plan B. He slid his fingers into her hair, mussing it into tangles at the back. He knew this wasn't necessarily the _only_ option- he just found this one the most appealing.

"Zabuza- I don't think this is really-" He cut her off with a nip at her ear. "Follow my lead." He whispered back. He brought his free hand up to pull the shoulder of her kimono down, wrinkling the fabric as it slid from her shoulder.

He leaned into her, a pleasant flush was spreading across her cheeks and he rumbled his approval. He swooped in to nip at her bottom lip, taking care with his unusually sharp teeth. He almost forgot why he was doing this when she made a mewling sound. He bit back a groan and pressed his lips to hers.

Dear Kami she was so soft.


	386. Handiwork

"Kakashi!" The booming voice came again. If they let him continue on for much longer the silver haired man's neighbors might get involved. He was causing a scene.

Zabuza pulled away regretfully to view his handiwork. Kagome was flushed; her breathing came in small pants, her eyes a little glassy. Pride swelled in his chest; she reacted this way for him. Only him. Something twinged painfully then, but he pushed the emotion away as quickly as it came.

He caught her eye, and whispered lowly, "Go to the window- send him away." Clarity returned to her eyes, and he placed a hand over hers when she tried to pull her kimono back up. "Like this." He added. She gave him a flat look and huffed, but did as he asked.

Zabuza pushed himself against the wall as she approached the window, sliding the curtains back.


	387. Lack of Interest

Gai was prepared to continue knocking until Kakashi came to the window. He always did this, pretended he wasn't home. So Gai's response was pretty much the same response he had to everything else Kakashi did in an attempt to remain aloof and antisocial.

Try to man's patience.

He wasn't prepared however, for the sight that greeted him after several minutes of knocking. Usually it took much longer than this to break his silver haired rival. The curtains slid back to reveal a very beautiful woman.

Wait- what?

In all of the years Gai had known Kakashi, he'd never shown the slightest interest in the opposite sex. Let alone an interest in bringing them to his apartment. It was totally against everything Gai knew about his rival. His very antisocial and greedy of his private life and space rival.

But here she was, a beautiful raven haired woman with tangles in her hair and her clothing sliding off. She pulled the window up and gave him a brilliant smile. Internally he approved of that smile. It was very Youthful.


	388. Change of Mind and Youthful Genjutsu

"Hello Gai-san," She greeted. And wasn't that odd that she knew his name? He didn't think Kakashi would have ever told a fling about his friends. Unless… she was more than a fling?

Gai changed his mind. This was just like Kakashi to keep his girlfriend squirreled away and never tell anyone she existed.

"Beautiful Maiden!" He boomed, "I am here to Greet My Rival from his Long Absence!" Her smile grew wider, it light up her eyes with humor as she held his gaze.

"Aa, I see." She said, her eyes flickering back into the darkened apartment for a moment.

"Kakashi isn't actually here, he asked me to wait for him..." She explained haltingly, but Gai could hear the truth of her words. He took in her appearance again, her swollen lips, flushed face and slipping clothes, and suddenly he caught on to why she was trying to send him away politely. Even if Kakashi had stepped out it was pretty obvious why she was waiting.

His face turned tomato red. "I AM SO SORRY TO INTERUPT YOUR MOST YOUTHFUL TIME WITH MY RIVAL." His voice grew louder in his embarrassment. He turned to leave- but paused for a moment. She stopped pulling the window down to tilt her head at him.

He grinned at her, teeth flashing and gave her Nice Guy Pose #22: Thank You For Being A Friend.

She stared at him for a moment, eyes wide. Then she burst into giggles "Have a nice night Gai-san."

The window closed and the curtains snapped shut once more.

Silently, Gai approved. It was a little odd though… that his Sunset Of Youth genjutsu didn't take on her. Ah well, he'd just have to ask Kakashi about it later.


	389. Lamentations

Kakashi stood quietly in the hospital corridor, just outside Minato's room. The Hokage is asleep, his injuries healed; but the seal continues to affect his consciousness. Kakashi felt worried, and unfortunately it wasn't because of any one thing. The weight of responsibility lay heavy on his shoulders.

He leaned against the whitewashed wall, trying not to breathe too much through his nose. The smell of antiseptic and bleach was always really off-putting for him. He scrubbed a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh, attempting to relieve the pressure of stress between his ribs.

"What a mess." He says to no one.

"It can't be that bad, I'm sure Jiraiya can help." A friendly voice says, approaching from around the corner. Kakashi turns to greet the man, offering a small bow.

"Sandaime-sama." The older man gives him a smile around the end of his unlit pipe. Sarutobi Asuma strides along at his father's side with folded arms and a deep scowl. Kakashi had heard rumors that he was considering leaving Konoha to join the Twelve Guardians and as Kakashi looked his once classmate over he wonders if there are any truth to them.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment Kakashi-kun." Hiruzen slipped past him with all the grace the years of being a shinobi afforded him into Minato's hospital room.

The latch clicked loudly in the hallway; leaving Kakashi to stand with a disgruntled Asuma.


	390. Ignorance is Bliss

Late into the night found Kakashi bone tired. He slides his fingers beneath his forehead protector to rub at his sharingan eye as Asuma speaks with him in low tones about nothing in particular. They both know they can't discuss the mission, but Kakashi can feel Asuma's burning curiosity wrapping around him like a cat winding between his legs.

The quiet of the hallway is broken by a booming voice that haunts Kakashi's nightmares, and he groans. Asuma shoves his hands in his pockets and makes another discontented grunting sound.

The Green Beast of Konoha chose that moment to explode onto the scene, breaking what little peace Kakashi had. This was always what it was like in the moments before Gai arrives, now that he thinks about it. He bites back a sigh.

Gai's exaggerated body language and excessively loud voice makes his head pound. He knows the man was probably giving one of his many "Nice Guy" poses, but Kakashi can't seem to bring himself to pay attention, an ability he has only gained from years of dealing with the Maito Guy. He stares mournfully at the floor, willing it to open and swallow him whole.

He looks up when he hears Asuma choke, startled by the sound.

Asuma stared at Kakashi like he'd grown another head. He snuck a look at Gai and found the man wore a look of triumph.

Oh great, now what.

"Uhm?" His brain conjured intelligently.


	391. Shoujo Manga Backdrop

"You have a girlfriend?" Asuma asked wide eyed and incredulous. Kakashi felt confused, his brows furrowed and he looked over at the green eyesore again.

"Aa, no?" It came out more like a question than an answer. Gai was positively glowing, with blooming flowers and raining sparkles all around him in a backdrop straight out of some shoujo manga. Kakashi waved the genjutsu away with a casual hand.

"Of course he does!" Gai exclaimed, offering Nice Guy Pose #54: The Truth Will Set You Free!

"No I don't?" Damn, that sounded like a question again. Gai's next words, made his face go ashen, and his spine stiffen slightly.

"But I've just met her! She's at your apartment- for shame Kakashi leaving the Beautiful Maiden Too Wait!" Kakashi's fingers twitched. Panic swelled in his chest for a moment before he forcefully pushed it back down.

 _'Okay, calm down. Obviously he didn't go in the apartment or he would have noticed the blood thirsty Kiri missing-nin hanging out in your living room.'_

"This I have to see." Asuma turned a leave, but before Kakashi could stop him, surprisingly, Gai did. With a beat red face and a slightly awkward laugh he'd never heard from the man. His voice lowered a bit in a very un-Gai-like manner. At least outside of ANBU.

"She didn't really seem fit to be receiving guests." Asuma turned to look at him again eye's wide and mouth hanging open slightly.

"Seriously?"

Kakashi face palmed. Whatever was going on in his apartment, he was at least grateful that Kagome had managed to turn the ostentatious man away. However, as soon as this was over he made a mental note to wash his sheets. Or burn them.

Kakashi's face burned in embarrassment under the eyes of his comrades. He cleared his throat feeling horrible awkward.

"Right, I'll just- ah, go see to her- I mean-" He couldn't take it anymore, and shushin-ed away without finishing his stumbling sentence. Laughter followed in his wake.

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AN: So when I get reviews in my email, for some reason Gai's name shows up like this: G** Which I think is absolutely hilarious. Like Gai is a cuss word. I swear to Gai you guys, this is going to happen, from now on Gai is a part of my repertoire of dirty words.


	392. Stick Together

Haku bowed low, bending a sharp angle at the waist. "Pleased to meet you." He said with genial politeness, belying the nervousness he felt creeping down his spine.

Haku wished in this moment that he could be more like Kagome; generally accepting and trustful of everyone. As it was, Haku was a shinobi loyal only to Zabuza and said girl. Being mistrustful was the bread and butter of the shinobi world, a rule of thumb he was very familiar with. Especially when one made a habit of traipsing around with missing-nin and a woman with power that one had hoped to keep secret from the world. Yea, that hadn't exactly gone as well as they had planned.

So when he found himself under Itachi's care being introduced to the head of the Uchiha clan, he wasn't sure what to think. The man before him was stern faced with deep frown lines and hard eyes. Haku knew he wasn't exactly welcome here, but Itachi had insisted they stick together for the time being. Haku thought maybe the older boy was secretly worried about being left behind but he was a very difficult person to read so he let the thought go as soon as it came.

"Likewise." The clan head intoned in a voice that sounded like he would rather be saying _'get out of my house.'_

The back of his neck itched, but he ignored it. He hoped Itachi knew what he was doing.


	393. Morning

Kagome woke to find that at some point in the night she had rolled off the bed to crawl into Zabuza's lap. Her legs were tangled with his and she had her head pillowed on her arm across his waist. His heat rolled around her skin in a way that made blankets blissfully obsolete. She sighed contentedly and stretched across his chest in a languid but satisfying motion.

His arm was draped across her side and it moved when she shifted to look up at him. Dark eyes looked down at her, and she smile for him.

"Good morning." She murmured. He shifted to sit up more and brought up a callous hand to stroke over her hair.

Kagome's eyes flickered over to the door, distracted for a moment. Thunderstorms and the smell of ozone flashed across her awareness, approaching at shushin speeds.

"Kakashi is back." She tells her companion, who looks like he's not quite awake yet. He grunts in acknowledgement and the two untangle themselves from the other. There is an odd twanging sound, like taunt ninja wire being plucked, and then a key sliding into the front door lock.


	394. Three Days Without Sleep

Kakashi steped in giving both of them a once-over before toeing at the heels of his sandals to take them off.

"You look exhausted." Kagome blurts before she can stop herself. His one visible eye flickered up from pulling wearily at his stubborn left shoe to catch her own.

"Three days without sleep will do that to you." He intoned quietly. Zabuza grunts as if in agreement. Kagome looks between the two, chewing at her bottom lip in thought.

"Why don't you lie down for a while?" She gestures at his still neatly made bed. "If anyone comes I can wake you up." She paused and added as an afterthought "Not that you'd need me too! Ninja and all that." She clicked her teeth shut, realizing she was about to start rambling again if she didn't stop now.

Kakashi sighed and looked over at Zabuza. Her Kiri-nin tensed for a moment before relaxing and making his grunt of affirmation. Kakashi inclined his head in a subtle nod.

Kagome thought their silent conversations was a weird thing to see.

Kakashi ambled past her, placing a hand on her shoulder for a brief moment in thanks before literally falling on top his bed.

He was asleep before his feet left the ground.


	395. Urgency

Kagome snapped the cover to her book shut. She couldn't do this anymore; it was driving her insane she was sure if she had to wait even one more minute she was going to break.

"Zabuza," she called in a hurried whisper looking over to make sure she wasn't disturbing Kakashi's sleeping form.

Her swordsman paused in his efforts to rewrap the hilt of Kubikiribocho with new leather. His eyes darted about the room for a moment searchingly. She felt his chakra spread out a moment later prodding around the outside of the apartment. When he found nothing his gaze rested on her questioningly.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She was sure her face was bright red, but seriously she couldn't wait anymore!

He huffed in amusement and went back to methodically wrapping the hilt of his sword.

"It is safe." And she sprung up and made for the front door taking his words for the permission she sought.

"Do not wander off." He added just as she slipped into the hallway.


	396. Meeting the Gross Carpet

Kagome stepped into the hallway outside of Kakashi's apartment. The door clicked behind her, its metal surface emblazoned with the numbers twenty one. Across from her was door number twenty two, and down the hall were more doors with similar numbers.

"Okay so the door without a number will be the bathroom." She hypothesized to herself quietly. The hallway was cool but the hanging orange lamps didn't do anything to flatter the old, ugly red carpet that stretched its length. Kagome did her best to ignore the feel of said carpet beneath her feet as she took quiet steps in the only available direction. It was sticky and dirty and somehow felt humid on her skin.

 _'Ew.'_

She turned a corner, and her eyes alighted at the sight of a pair of plan double doors surrounded by tile. These doors sported the universal sign for bath. She clapped her hands together with a brilliant smile and made her way in.

 _'Oh thank Kami-sama'_


	397. Flirt

Face and hands freshly washed, feeling slightly cleaner and more human Kagome stepped back out into the grimy hallway.

 _'Door twenty one.'_ She reminded herself, but stopped when she turned the corner. Before her stood a large man, made even taller by his wooden geta. He made an odd considering noise as he looked at each door and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. His massive, unruly mane of white hair tumbled down his back, and the sight of him made her breath hitch in surprise.

"Jiraiya-sama" She greeted cheerfully, and was pleasantly surprised to find she'd snuck up on the man when he jumped and whirled around to face her in a movement too fast to follow. Emblazoned on his oddly shaped forehead protector was the kanji for 'oil' and the familiar red lines marked down his cheeks from the corners of his eyes.

"Oho, Hello there young lady…" He said as he swaggered towards her with a lifted brow and a crooked smile. "Are you a fan? Come to meet the Great Toad Sage Jiraiya have you?" She could practically hear the capital letters in his title. His tone of voice and body language was an awkward flirty thing and that her want to laugh.

 _'If he asks me to bare his children the comparison would be set, though I think Miroku was a bit more suave, if not just as awkward.'_

"Nope!" She told him instead, voice full of humor. He faltered for a moment, and made a face she'd seen Shippo make a million times.

The pouty-face.


	398. Behind Door Number Twenty-One

"Are you looking for Kakashi's apartment?" Kagome didn't miss the flash of wariness across his eyes.

"Aa." He affirmed giving her a strange look, his voice losing some of it boastful quality. She tilted her head at him not quite understanding the change in demeanor.

"He's expecting you right?" She took a quick look around. There wasn't anyone out here but probably better not to talk about these things in a public hallway.

At Jiraiya's nod, she walked past him doing her damnedest to ignore how gross the carpet was. "C'mon then, his door is the last one on the left." She didn't look to see if he was following, because now that she'd made contact with his aura there's no way she couldn't be aware of it. It was like a massive waterfall, full of light and life but it also held a tinge of regret, and a deep sadness. She frowned and did look back at him then.

He was still watching her with guarded eyes, following easily behind. "How do you know where the Hatake boy lives?" His tone of voice was teasing but Kagome could feel the suspicious nature to his aura without any trouble. She hid a smile behind her hand, knowing that if it weren't for the circumstances she probably would have never known.

"Kakashi is my friend; he brought us here yesterday night to wait for Minato's recovery." She told him, coming to a stop at door number twenty one. She hesitated though, and turned to look at the sannin.

"Us?" He murmured. She just smiled and brushed a wayward lock of hair behind her ear.

"No fighting in the apartment please, Kakashi is asleep but let me wake him up first before you make any rash decisions alright?" He looked at her with confused eyes.

"Alright…" He agreed slowly, and with that she pushed the door open and stepped inside.


	399. Who's the Bad Guy Here?

Her breath left her lungs in a whoosh- an arm around her middle like a steel bar pulled her farther into the apartment before she could even blink. His aura rolled at her back, his scorching body heat smoothing across her skin like a familiar blanket. Her ears registered the sound of his massive sword coming around to the front of them and clicking threateningly into place.

All this in about two seconds flat. Kagome felt pretty proud that she'd managed to keep up with all the movement decently well this time.

She let out a belated squeak, and Zabuza made a perturbed grunting sound in reply.

"Sannin." He spat the word like it was a horrible curse. Kagome brought her hands up and curled delicate fingers around the forearm that held her in place against his center of gravity.

Jiraiya stood in the doorway, a hand twitching for the scroll pouch at his back but otherwise didn't move. His eyes caught hers, something undefinable passed behind them before they slid to meet Zabuza's. His expression closed off, the waterfall of his aura roared, preparing to lash out.

"Let her go." His voice held the promise of violence, and Zabuza's aura flashed in kind.


	400. Trust Issues

Kagome blinked at his words. Jiraiya… wanted Zabuza to let _her_ go? Zabuza rumbled at her back in what seemed to be a fit of possessiveness.

"Huh?" She added to the conversation. Did she miss something?

From the other side of the small apartment Kakashi rose from his bed grumbling under his breath and rubbing at his visible eye.

He took one look at them and heaved a sigh.

"Zabuza, Jiraiya-sama is a friend. I asked him to meet us here." He grumbled as he clambered to his feet and smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. He looked entirely apathetic. Jiraiya turned to him with an incredulous look.

"You'll excuse me if I don't have a lot of faith in a sannin." Zabuza responded, his words vibrating down her back. She could feel the blood lust beginning to tinge the fog of his aura. It edged around the nervousness his body didn't show.

Kagome looked up at him; following the familiar line of his jaw that slopped into his neck, wrapped in layers of bandages that ended in loose loops at his throat.

"Zabuza" She called to him softly, his head tilted to show he was listening, but he didn't take his eyes off Jiraiya. Kagome smoothed the palms of her hands across the heated skin of his forearm in what she hopped was a soothing motion.

"Jiraiya isn't like Orochimaru. I'm not going anywhere." She told him in hushed tones. It was probably pointless, the apartment was too small to keep her words private, and her audience were ninjas.

Jiraiya made a choking noise and she flashed him an apologetic look for mentioning his estranged teammate. The poor man looked so confused.

"No fighting." She said a little louder and with more finality in her voice.

* * *

AN: 400 chapters, my goodness this story is really running away with me, we're just about near the end now though if i could manage to stop getting distracted. Hope you guys like it so far, thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I love hearing from you guys :)


	401. Drama Queen

Kagome suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as Zabuza slowly let his grip across her middle relax, and then eventually drop away completely. Across from them Jiraiya's stance eased up as well, but she could still see the tense lines in his shoulders and the way his aura echoed Zabuza's in annoyance.

' _Drama queens.'_

She clapped her hands together to break the silence, giving a bright smile to anyone who bothered to look.

"Well, I'd offer tea but-" She took a look around the tiny room and its distinct lack of a kitchen pointedly. "Why don't we sit down and we can discuss why we are all here." She gestured with a sweeping arm at the low laying table. Jiraiya met her eyes for a moment, seemingly to assure himself that this wasn't some kind of trick. He broke the eye contact and ambled over to sit, sprawling out on the floor like he owned it.


	402. First Concerns

Kagome sat across from Jiraiya, and Zabuza folded himself at her side with all the lethal grace that she'd come to associate with his figure. Kakashi sat back down on the edge of his bed and looked woefully at his pillow for a moment before he turned back to them. He scrubbed a hand through his mussed white hair that seemed to stick up at an angle no matter what he did to it.

"How is Minato-sensei?" He addressed their most pressing concern without preamble.

Jiraiya flashed him a confident grin. "Orochimaru may think he's a genius but I am still a master of sealing. Minato-kun will be fine. He'll need a few more days to recover from the rough handling but he'll be right as rain in no time."

Kagome watched some of the tension ease out of Kakashi's neck. He let out a gusty sigh of relief. "That's good to hear."


	403. Deadline

Next to her Zabuza's aura brushed against her own, calling for her attention.

"How much longer." A smile curled at the corner of her lips. Zabuza's way of asking questions without it really seeming like a question was always kind of funny.

She hummed, considering the not-a-question. Zabuza didn't know the plan like her, Itachi and Minato did- but he was far from stupid. He knew they were here for a reason, and he knew something was going to happen.

"The tenth of October." She supplied. "We need to get Itachi and Haku back." She added. There were a few more things she needed to go over with Itachi beforehand. Her fingers played lightly across the surface of the beads at her neck while she mused over what training she could safely provide within the village walls.


	404. 404: Time Not Found

"That's in four days." Jiraiya broke the moment of silence. Kagome tensed, surprised at the realization.

 _'Already? I thought we had more time…'_ She couldn't help the small noise of distress that eeped out of the back of her throat.

Kakashi stood from the bed, his single dark eye passing over the three of his guests sitting on the floor. "I will retrieve the boys. Don't-" He looked around the room for a second, "Break anything while I'm gone. Should be about thirty minutes. Hopefully."

There was a swirl of leaves that fluttered to the carpet and the top of his bed spread and suddenly he was gone. Leaving only an open window and dead foliage in his wake.

"Ninja must do a lot of sweeping." Kagome commented absentmindedly while eyeing the mess.


	405. Safekeeping

"So you aren't a shinobi then?" Jiraiya called her attention. She smiled at him, and Zabuza shifted uncomfortably next to her. People questioning her always made him edgy- for a good reason.

"No." His tenor answered for her. The older man eyed her from across the table. "Kakashi told me a little, but he seems to of skipped some of the details." He looked pointedly at Zabuza.

"Aa," She acknowledged. "My name is Kagome, and this is Zabuza. We travel together with a boy named Haku who is currently in Uchiha Itachi's safekeeping."

Jiraiya's gaze turned sharp. "Interesting." He mused, stroking a thumb across the line of his jaw.


	406. Not So Random

"A Kiri missing-nin." Kagome stiffened, feeling protective of her companion. She had been hopping that without his headband he'd be less recognizable, and his name couldn't be that uncommon right? In the end though, the sword probably gave it away. There probably wasn't a lot of ninja running around with massive swords- it wasn't exactly conducive to the whole 'sneaky' aspect; all though she knew Zabuza managed just fine.

He had been a hunter-nin before his defection hadn't he? Another thing she probably should know since he'd never mentioned it.

Kagome's worry over Jiraiya's attention on her companion eased when he turned a critical eye to her. "A Kiri missing-nin and a random civilian- something tells me you're not so random."

Kagome just gave him a vague smile and leaned her shoulder into the warmth of Zabuza's arm at her side.


	407. On Par

"Why the Uchiha brat?" Jiraiya changed the subject in a snap. Kagome blinked, confused for a moment.

"Uh, what do you mean?" The lazy white haired man gave her a flat look.

"You left your ward with him that signifies some amount of familiarity."

Zabuza made a disgruntled noise at her side, still clearly displeased with that particular choice they had made on the way to the village.

"Aa, well. Itachi is something of my ward as well- but I'm going to have to ask you to let up on these questions until I know more about what Minato wants known and what he wants kept secret." She told him, and Jiraiya looked so put out by her words she almost laughed. He was like a little kid, it's no wonder he was able to reach out and level with the twelve year old Naruto.

He pouted, and turned his face to the wall with closed eyes.

"Fine."

Kagome did laugh then. What a huge dork.


	408. Façade

Haku had never seen Itachi carry himself this way in all the time he had come to know the older boy. His eyes were guarded, posture stiff and formal. It seemed so unlike him, but Haku had to wonder if the Itachi _he_ knew was different from _Uchiha Itachi._ A frown tugged at his lips as he looked his friend over, even as they stood alone together the Uchiha façade didn't waver or fade. He thought it must be stressful to keep that up all the time.

The Uchiha compound had this uptight feel to it that just made you feel like you weren't sitting up straight enough, and Haku supposed that as the heir there was probably a lot of pressure on Itachi's image as well as his shinobi career. Itachi represented an entire clan of people in a way Haku would probably never fully grasp the concept of.

For the umpteenth time since coming to his friend's home, he found himself grateful that his mother had spared him this particular fate within the Yuki compound in Kiri. Although, he knew that wasn't really her main motivation at the time. They had barely escaped the blood line purges once Kiri had decided the mass genocide of its clans seemed like a good idea.

Not that his early childhood had really ended any better than that scenario.

Haku shook himself, earning a sideways glance from Itachi.

He had Zabuza-san now, his life had a purpose. He felt safe and accepted, and since Kagome-san had joined, things had only gotten better. He was Zabuza-san's tool and Haku would never lose sight of that as it gave him a place at the swordsman's side, but Kagome-san made it feel like the three of them were family, and that was something he found he hadn't even realized he'd missed until she began to fill the role.


	409. Facets of a Boy

Haku snuck a glance at Itachi as the older boy pelted the circle targets high above them with deftly thrown kunai. It was quiet out here, the Uchiha training grounds mostly deserted in the middle of the afternoon. There was only the _thunk_ of kunai hitting their targets, punctuated by the ring of Haku's senbon as they followed close behind.

They were practicing hiding Haku's senbon in the shadow of Itachi's thrown kunai. A good strategy- Itachi's idea of course- it would only add to the team dynamic they'd developed over the course of their comradery.

Haku suddenly found himself remiss to the idea of letting Itachi go. He knew that Itachi had to return to the Uchiha sooner or later, but he _liked_ Itachi, he liked having the older by around, Itachi fit into the role of older brother seamlessly.

Or at least- what he thought having an older brother might be like. Kagome-san had done pretty well absorbing the older boy into their makeshift little family, despite his being a little cold at times and a little more than emotionally distant. Despite his outward demeanor, Haku knew the boy cared. He knew he liked Kagome-san just as much as he did, and he thought maybe Itachi liked having him around too. Itachi was a calm, but loving creature. He only needed the chance to feel safe and comfortable and he would show you. Haku had seen it; Haku has absorbed this facet of Itachi like all the others; accepted it as a part of who he was without question.


	410. No Reason, Every Reason

Haku considered the Uchiha compound again, and wondered if 'home' was a loose term for the place. It wasn't warm or comfortable in the clan heads house. It didn't feel safe, or relaxing. It was like walking on eggshells all day.

Haku got the feeling that if Itachi stayed here, that this place was going to break him someday. Kill him someday.

He wished there was a good enough reason for Itachi to come with them instead, a good enough reason for him to escape the awful rigidness to his posture, the stifling sensation of being watched constantly. A reason for him to escape the way his shoulders suddenly seemed to bow beneath the invisible weight of responsibility and unreasonable duty to this clan.

Haku wished he could save his friend from this place, but he knew he couldn't. He was only a seven year old boy and even Itachi himself was strangled by his own sense of duty to this cursed clan.

"Itachi?" Haku broke the stillness, and when the older boy turned to him, he couldn't help but notice that the stress lines beneath his eyes seemed deeper, heavier with shadows.

"Yes?" Posture ridged, his face was a mask of stone. Haku missed his Itachi already.

"We'll always be friends wont we?" The question seemed childish, but he didn't regret asking when something melted in Itachi's eyes, and for a moment there was the warmth he had taken for granted. The warmth that had always been there outside of Konoha's walls.

Itachi ducked his head into the high collar of his shirt, and Haku thought maybe he was hiding a smile.

"Of course." The words were formal, but there was an undercurrent to them that spoke of all the things Haku had just been mulling over. Itachi knew too, that he had to stay here. This was his responsibility, even though he even wanted to stay with them as much as Haku wanted him too. He just couldn't.

A sad kind of understanding passed between the boys, and they turned back to their practice without another word.


	411. Rusty Spoons and Little Kohai's

Kakashi was irritated. Not that he'd show it or anything, but dealing with the Uchiha's always left his nerves raw. They didn't exactly like him- the whole 'Obito's eye belongs to the clan' thing. If it hadn't been for Rin vouching for their team mate's last wishes, and Minato as the Hokage to back that up, they probably would have scooped out his sharingan with a rusty spoon months ago.

Rusty spoons aside, the Uchiha clan had no reservations with giving him the cold shoulder anytime he had to come around. Before Itachi he never needed to- but now he found himself fetching the boy for missions more often than he would have liked.

Which of course, would have been a preferred total of zero times.

Well, if no one was going to point him in the direction of his cute little kohai, he'd just have to track the boy.

Luckily, he was good at that sort of thing.


	412. Education in Mist (Or Lack Thereof)

"Zabuza…" His name came out slowly, as if tasting each syllable for what it had to offer. "Are you trying to tell me that…" She trailed off for a moment, looking back down at the table she was practicing her ofuda on.

The little slips of paper were scattered all over, her fingers were stained black with ink and her back was starting to hurt from hunching over. Zabuza sat at her side, and she reveled in the heat of him, her own personal supernova.

Jiraiya looked up at them from one of her ofuda slips he was attempting to copy and activate.

Which wasn't working, much to the man's dismay.

"It's not that surprising." Jiraiya told her, looking back down to add more neat and precise strokes to the kanji he was writing down the length of the paper. "Kirigakure never put that much emphasis on basic education. He probably learned to swing a sword before he learned basic math." He added in a disinterested way.

Kagome wasn't sure what to think of this information. "Oh." She said instead, looking up at Zabuza, who was already watching her with sharp eyes.

"I can read well enough." He grunted at her. Kagome thought he sounded a little defensive. Rightly so, she knew she would be upset if someone was taking jabs at her education.


	413. Telling Motion

Zabuza shifted forward to trace along some of the kanji on a few of the abandoned slips with a calloused finger.

"These ones." He said simply. Kagome leaned forward too, half to see- and half to have an excuse for skin contact.

Not that she really needed an excuse.

The characters he was showing her were definitely more on the complicated side. Kagome had to wonder for a moment if they even had this level of grammar in this world. These were college level kanji, and ninjas only went to school for what… six years right?

That's not nearly enough for any sort of higher education standards. Kagome chewed her bottom lip for a moment, considering.

"What about Haku?" She looked up at him again, and his eyes swept away in a telling motion. He shrugged.

"He can read." Was all he said. Kagome bit her lip harder. _'Yes, but how well.'_

"Alright." She said after a minute of continued silence, and then she launched into a basic explanation of character structure and standard Japanese writing with a clean sheet of full sized paper.

After a small amount of time she switched to a higher understanding of the written language seeing that Zabuza grasped the basics just fine. Jiraiya seemed disinterested for most of it, but after a while even he put his ink brush down to listen to the lesson.

Later, she would have to sit down with Haku and make sure his education didn't suffer either. Maybe even Itachi? She made a few mental notes to gauge where her boys were at.

Hopefully there would be time.


	414. Okaerinasai

When the front door opened and Kakashi stepped inside with her two boys in tow, she put her ink brush down and cracked her fingers to relieve some of the stiffness that had accumulated. Zabuza had long since lost interest in her lesson, and had gone back to tempering his sword and organizing his ninja gear.

Jiraiya though, was knee deep in her explanation of how convergence and infinite sequences in calculous worked. The older man hung on her every word, writing on occasion in a notebook that was full of the odd little doodles she recognized as seals. His whole countenance glowed with a rapt sort of attention that made her want to giggle at his enthusiasm. She didn't even really like math, but it was nice to know she hadn't spent all that time buried in textbooks for nothing. At least someone was getting something out of all her hard work.

"Welcome home!" She greeted the boys with a bright eyes and a wide smile. Haku took a graceful step around Kakashi's side, squeezing between the door frame and the larger man's bulk to fling himself directly into Kagome's lap. Kakashi shut the door behind them, giving the most eager of the three of them a scolding glance.

Kagome cooed, brushing a hand through Haku's bangs and adjusting the fabric that held the mass of his hair up. She fussed over him for a moment before looking up and giving Itachi a bright smile.

The boy stood at the door, looking stiff and awkward. Kagome didn't miss the way some small part of him seemed to relax once the door was shut, but he looked stressed and tired. Kakashi brushed a hand across his shoulder before ambling over to look at what Jiraiya was working on. Said man had looked up for a moment, but dismissed them in favor of the complex seal array he was trying to mix the girls new mathematics into.


	415. Tadaima

"Sensei." Itachi greeted her with a slight nod. Kagome bit her bottom lip in thought, and adjusted Haku to sit next to Zabuza. He didn't mind at all once the Kiri-nin placed a hand on his head in greeting. Haku looked up at Zabuza like he was the kami that had placed the moon in the night sky and painstakingly painted every star himself.

Kagome stood, brushing off her hands on her kimono but immediately regretted it when the motion left streaks of ink across the fabric. She ignored the mess in favor of her student, who looked two turns of a piano string too tight.

"Itachi," She greeted, kneeling in front of him. His dark eyes followed the motion until she was eye level with him. She reached out a tentative hand, giving him plenty of time to pull away if he wanted to, and grasped his much smaller one in hers. He was warm in her loose grip, the pads of his little fingers had callouses from his chosen craft; but it was a child's hand in hers nonetheless.

She smiled again, warm and soft. She let the barest whisper of healing ki brush along his skin in a comforting motion. ' _You are safe here.'_ She tried to tell him without words.

She was rewarded when the corner of his mouth twitched upwards, and his dark eyes melted into something more familiar to her. His little fingers curled around her palm to thread his tiny fingers between hers.

"Welcome home." She repeated, softer this time.

Just for him.

"Tadaima." He replied, just as softly.


	416. Ninja Purse

"I added some kunai so you don't have to go around stabbing sannin with arrows like some untrained civilian." Kakashi said handing her a hip pouch with humor sparking in his eyes. Jiraiya made a choking noise from his spot at the table, his brush splattering ink across the fresh sheet of paper he had just pulled in front of him. His gaze traveled from the mess to look at her with incredulous eyes.

Kagome took it from him with a grin, glad they were at a point where they could make light of what had been a terrifying situation. It was a coping mechanism she was familiar with, one that Inuyasha and Miroku used often- nothing like some good natured ribbing to take the edge off of your friends almost dying.

"Thanks" She told him as Haku leaned over to inspect its contents from her shoulder. The small pouch had a surprising amount of separated sections, keeping the ninja tools in an upright position instead of letting them roll around the bottom in a disorganized mess. There was a section for a few kunai, and another for senbon which held quite a few more since they slid in next to each other better than kunai did. A few rolls of bandages and a vial of what she supposed was probably antiseptic. There were a few empty sections, and the whole thing snapped shut across the top in a way that would allow her to slide her fingers in from the side and pull things out without anything actually coming out on its own.

Ninja's really knew how to make a nice purse.


	417. I Can Help

In the back of the bag following the curve of its container was Zabuza's head band, with its excessive amounts of fabric wrapped around the plate, hiding the slashed mist symbol from view. Zabuza's headband had more fabric on it than any other she'd seen. She pulled it out, sliding it from the compartment without disturbing any of the other items and attempted to hand it to the man sitting next to her.

He shook his head. "Hold onto it for now."

"Do you want to go over senbon techniques with me Kagome-san?" Haku pulled her attention to him. Itachi very subtly perked up, "I could help too." He added in a tone that said he didn't really care either way, but Kagome knew better.

How could she possibly refuse an offer like that?

"Sure!" She told the boys with a bright smile, tucking Zabuza's headband back into place with a careful motion that bordered on reverence.

"You should change first." Kakashi interrupted dropping a familiar backpack into her lap. It still smelled like salt water and brine.

"Change?" She asked curiously, and opened it to find a set of standard black ninja attire. Kagome gasped in surprise, a wide grin stretching across her face.

"Pants!" She cried startling everyone sitting next to her. "Shoes!" She added with another pleased gasp. She sprung from her sitting position to launch herself excitedly at the one-eyed man, the bag squished between them as she hugged him for all she was worth.


	418. Excitable

"Thank you so much!" She added for good measure completely oblivious to Kakashi's discomfort at her invasion of his personal space.

"…No problem." He gave her back an awkward pat, and shot Zabuza a beseeching look. Kakashi couldn't be sure but he thought the swordsman looked amused at his discomfort. Kagome stepped back, the brilliant smile firmly in place as she shouldered her bag and made for the front door.

"I'll be right back." She told the boys as shut the door behind her, leaving the remaining ninja in silence. Haku fidgeted with the hip pouch she left behind and Itachi stared at the door like he was trying to unravel a particularly complicated puzzle.

"Well she's an excitable little thing isn't she." Jiraiya said with a lecherous grin, "I bet she's a real hellcat in-" A senbon thunked hard into the wood of the table, millimeters from his pinky finger, and the handle of a kunai smacked his cheek hard enough to leave an angry red welt- interrupting what was sure to be a raunchy remark.

Jiraiya, the self proclaimed Super Pervert blinked innocently and held up his hands in a disarming motion. "I only meant-"

"No." Kakashi and Zabuza told him at the same time.

The white haired sannin pouted. "You guys are no fun."


	419. Melted Mass of Affection

A few hours later found Zabuza pulling her leg into his lap, and cinching the fabric of her new pants just below her knee. He held it there with one hand while the other prepared to wrap the long strips of white linen over it and around her upper calf.

"This will keep the excess out of the way." He told her, following up on her earlier complaints when the boys were attempting to show her how to dodge properly in what little space Kakashi's tiny apartment allowed. It hadn't really gone well, and after the third time she'd face planted into the floorboards Kakashi made them stop, making a vague promise that they could sneak out onto one of the training grounds later.

Zabuza's movements were fluid from long years of practice of working with bandages, and he tied the end off with a quick twist and tucking motion that left the knot itself flat and hidden beneath a swath.

"You don't want it too tight or too loose." He gruffly instructed her, heated fingertips stroking down the length of the underside of her calf in a superfluous motion that made her overly sensitive to his proximity. Kagome got the feeling that despite his put-upon tone he was thoroughly enjoying this. Especially if the burning attentive way his aura was focused on her was anything to go by.

There really was something to be said for being the sole focus of a man like Zabuza.

Kagome's heart squeezed in her chest, a smile gracing her lips as a fluttering sensation made itself known in her belly. She felt a rush of fondness for the man in front of her as he took the time to show her this new skill. His eyes followed the movements of his own hands, his back curved forward slightly, broad shoulders of bare skin stood out as a stark contrast against the fabric of his black tank top. His mop of dark spiky hair was still damp from the shower making it droop around his head, a few spikes at his nape still dripped clean water into the fabric of the bandages that hid his features and coiled loosely around his neck.

Something in her melted into a mass of affection as she watched him.

She never wanted to give this up.


	420. This is Him, This Man Right Here

He pulled her other leg across his lap and repeated the process, and she did her best to follow what he was doing so that later when she needed to do it herself she could manage. Kagome knew she'd never get the neat, precise rows to look as controlled as he managed. How did he even get the knot to be flat like that?

His dark eyes looked up for a moment and caught hers and his hands paused. The perpetual furrow to his brow eased a tiny bit; smoothing out to look more relaxed. She saw the shadow of his lips quirk in an almost arrogant way, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Aa, _this_ man, her heart told her in the language of thrumming beats that sent her pulse racing with just one look from his dark eyes. _This man_.

Her very own walking human supernova, with a penchant towards being controlling and demanding, with a battle-lust and a single-minded desire to see bloodshed that out did plenty of actual demons she knew.

He tended to blur the line like that.

He wasn't perfect she knew, he had faults- but so did she. He tended to care very little for anything outside the scope of what he considered his, and she probably cared to a little too much about everyone and everything. Where he was harsh she was soft, and when he was ready to rend she was prepared to heal. Where he seemed to have an eternal well of patience she knew she tended to be overeager. She could talk herself into the ground and he hardly said a word to anyone unless he could carefully select them first.

No, they weren't perfect. They were only human after all, but she thought they managed a pretty good balance between the two of them.

Besides- she loved him just the way he was.


	421. The Veil

"Oh, no it's more like-" Kagome cut herself off, turning away from Itachi and looking towards Kakashi's apartment window. A small frown tugged at her lips as she absently observed the light cast by the setting sun that peeked between the closed curtains.

The approaching aura was heading directly for them, and it quickly absorbed her full attention. It was an unfamiliar one, distinctly masculine and very… _strange_.

Kagome found herself fascinated by it. Her eyes widened as she took in the sense of soft shifting shadows that concealed unfathomable depths.

It was the careful, silent steps of bare feet on moist soil, a forest at dusk with the perfect balance of light and shadow. Comforting, enveloping dark- sliding and twining in deafening silence. Waiting for the call; poised and ready to rise and smother the breath from your lungs, a distinctly inhuman sensation attached to one that was very human- they were not the same entity, and yet they were. It tugged at her- pulling with an intensity she couldn't name, absorbing her thoughts, casting shadows in her mind.

Kagome had never felt the urge to touch someone's aura more than she did right now. It was like this aura, this soul- existed in the _in between_ , that place that wasn't quite here or there.

Tendrils of the shifting veil between this life and the next.

* * *

AN: huehuehue, kudos to anyone who can figure out who it is. -excited wiggle-


	422. Unresponsive

"Sensei?" Itachi questioned looking up from the kanji she'd been patiently instructing him and Haku though. He placed the brush down, fingers itching towards his weapons pouch but he paused before he could reach for the familiar metal- his head snapped to the window as well, his bangs swishing with the movement.

Zabuza shifted at Kagome's side, one hand grasping the hilt of his sword that rested on his back tightly the other reaching over to touch her folded leg.

"Woman." He grunted in an agitated attempt to get her attention. Her eyes were glazed in a way that made him uncomfortable, her attention seemingly fading. She blinked slowly, the only movement her stilled body made. She didn't respond to him.

His frown deepened.


	423. Absent Distraction

"What's going on?" Jiraiya questioned, looking back and forth between the occupants in the room.

"Someone's coming." The young Uchiha answered, sounding far away. At Itachi's words Jiraiya stretched his senses out searching for a chakra signature, he was sure the other shinobi in the room were doing the same.

Haku followed Itachi's line of sight to the window that was lit with dusks soft red illumination, and pulled himself up to stand. Everyone seemed to follow his example with the exception of Jiraiya and Kakashi. The latter of the two looked like he couldn't care less. Haku supposed he probably knew something they didn't.

Kagome and Itachi stood as if someone was tugging on strings attached to their bodies, completely distracted and absent minded.

"What..." Itachi struggled to breathe the single word and Kagome twitched slightly but didn't respond.

Zabuza growled low and frustrated. He reached out and grasped her wrist, his much larger hand circling her small appendage with ease. Her pulse beat sluggishly beneath his heated grip.


	424. Trance

" _Kagome_." He called to her again, sharper this time. Still no response- it was as if she were in a trace. Kakashi sat up from his place on the bed and heaved a sigh. His visible eye still closed from the doze he'd been attempting.

"Mou, there's no danger. Minato said he'd be sending someone trustworthy to fetch Kagome so they could talk." When Kakashi did open his eye to take in the people in the room, he seemed to startle slightly at the sight of the two ki users.

 _'Ah.'_ Zabuza realized absently, ' _So that's where he went earlier.'_

Jiraiya barked a laugh, breaking the quiet moment and went back to his notebook with a small scoff, "Getting all worked up over nothing. Kids."

As Zabuza looked Kagome over, he didn't feel so convinced.

And then Itachi's sharingan swirled to life.


	425. Compelling

Kakashi tensed, and Itachi seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he blinked over sluggish red tomoe several times, the glaze left his eyes but the sharingan didn't.

"Alright there kid?" Kakashi asked the boy hesitantly. Itachi nodded his jaw working over words unsaid for a moment.

"His aura is… compelling. My chakra helped me pull away from it but…" He trailed off looking over at Kagome, and the unsaid _but Kagome doesn't have chakra_ rang loud and clear in the space between occupants. Jiraiya slowly put his notebook back down. Haku's attention seemed to sharpen onto Kagome.

Zabuza grunted and pulled her towards him by her wrist. She went without struggle, plaint like a rag doll that could only manage to stand on its own.

It was at that moment that a shadow fell between the bottom of the curtains that were pulled tight across the window, and the sill of its frame.

Kagome trembled in Zabuza's grip, her breath quickening.


	426. Disembodied

Someone was holding her… around her middle. She wasn't sure why... the body behind her was heated; it radiated over her pleasantly.

She felt like… she should remember something here…

She blinked, trying to push away the strange sensation of being held underwater. Was she under water?

No… she could breath just fine.

It wasn't that. It was… like smoke maybe. A strange cloying sensation in her mind, wisping between her thoughts- separating them.

It made it difficult to think. Kagome struggled within herself for a moment. Something was… important. She needed to… to…

She need to what?

She couldn't remember.

There was only the smoke in her mind, coiling behind her eyes and whispering strange things to her.

 _Relax_ it said.

 _Sleep_ it crooned.

She trapped a whine in her throat, and blinked again. She couldn't… think. There was the sound of.. a window maybe. She she looked up from twisting shadows on the floor to see a man, crouched in an open window.

Her breath left her lungs and the smoke in her mind curled tighter.


	427. Falling Into Forever

His eyes caught hers, and they widened. He said something, she wasn't sure. Words didn't seem to reach her here. Her eyes traced the fresh looking scars on the left side of the man's face. His intense, sharp gaze held hers and he said something again.

It was all muffled, she couldn't hear.

 _Sleep_ the shadows called.

The sun was setting, in red and orange hues behind the man. It cast his shadow forward across the floor.

It ended just before her feet.

Kagome moved before she even realized what she was doing. The shadow called her, it wiggled in her vision with soft edges that fell into forever- something about it… she couldn't name. She had no words, she felt like she had no body. There was only her mind, wrapped in smoke and hushed words spoken from the lips of things that didn't exist.

The arms around her disappeared- sliding away as she fell to her knees. It was a strange feeling when one had no body. How could she fall to her knees if she was only a mind?

 _Come_ it whispered, pushing away her thoughts.

She reached down and touched the shadow. It rose to greet her, and then she was falling into forever.


	428. Taichou

Zabuza reached down and caught her just as she slumped to the floor. He grit his teeth and looked up at the man in the window.

Anger flared to life inside him as he held Kagome's limp and unresponsive body.

Her eyes were fogged and glassy like a dead thing. The Uchiha boy was there in a moment, feeling for her pulse with a guarded expression.

"Well." The scarred man began, his own gaze resting on Kagome as well. He paused to let out a put upon sigh and mumble something that sounded like 'troublesome'.

Zabuza's irritation spiked further. He resisted the urge to reach for his sword and relieve this man of his head. Haku's calming presence at his side soothed his raw nerves a little.

"Shikaku-taichou," Kakashi greeted the man hesitantly his one dark eye going from the window to his unresponsive charge. Jiraiya stood as well, looking unsure as to what was happening. A small frown marred his face.

The Nara stepped down from the window and into the room.


	429. Fix Her

Itachi skittered away from the shadow he cast across the floor, Shikaku frowned at him but didn't mention the behavior.

"It's alright, bring her here." He said reaching for the girl.

Zabuza hesitated, clutching at Kagome by her shoulders, but decided to relent in the end. If this man tried anything funny then he'd kill him, but he was all too aware he didn't know how to help her right now- maybe this man could.

Kagome blinked lazily over unfocused eyes as she was exchanged. Shikaku made a tutting sound and he felt her forehead, and the pulled her lower eyelid down.

"This isn't common, but it's also not unheard of." The jounin commander told the occupants in the room.

Itachi took a small step forward. "What is…" He trailed off, at a loss for words as to how to ask what he wanted.

Shikaku spared him a glance as he pressed fingertips to Kagome temples. He grumbled low complaints for a second.

"I'm afraid I can't explain the whole thing, clan secrets you know." He told the boy, and Itachi understood, if he was from another clan he wouldn't want to tell an Uchiha anything either. "But some people have a stronger reaction to the yin chakra Nara's use to control their shadows than others."

"Can you fix her." Zabuza grunted, because that's all he cared to know anyways.

"Yes." The Nara told him simply.

"Then do it." Was his clipped and agitated response.

* * *

AN: Don't worry, I promise I won't leave you hanging with that lame explanation. I just didn't think it would be plausible for Shikaku to want to go into detail when an Uchiha was present- they are known for their thieving of techniques after all. Until next time guys ^.~


	430. Seashells and Lava

There was a strange sound in her ears. Almost like when you put your ear against a sea shell. A low, rumbling sound like hot lava scoring a path across the earth.

It was a quiet thing, as if it had been there her whole life and she had just never noticed. It was a sound that just was.

The longer Kagome listened, the more she began to understand the rhythm to it. It had a sort of flow that was pushed forward with heavy beats, like blood in her veins and her beating heart working to keep her body alive.

Actually, it was exactly like that.

She blinked, had her eyes been open this entire time?


	431. Concept of Color

"Come on back." Someone was saying, and it sounded muffled and far away. She blinked again, registering colors for what felt like the first time in her life. Colors, now there was intense concept.

It had been so dark… where she had gone. ' _I don't remember leaving.'_ She thought lackadaisically.

"That's a good girl." The unfamiliar masculine voice praised her, and she wondering what she had done to earn it.

The next thing that registered for her, slow and steady as she rose from the dark like molasses down a tree, was the sensation of touch.

It was a strange thing to feel anothers skin on yours when you were only just becoming aware that you had your own skin. She shifted slightly, and found the effort required to move was more than she was willing to give.


	432. Quake

There were hands… cupped over her ears, amplifying the sound of her own heartbeat the longer they stayed pressed there. She became aware, as his palms lay firm and flat against the shell of her ears, that she could hear the quaking of his muscles even though he held his arms completely still.

His skin was warm, but not heated and somehow that made her uncomfortable. The proper skin should burn… like the sun? Was that right?

That seemed right.

 _Zabuza…_

And just like that, the name searing a path of fierce love and loyalty across her mind; she reared backwards away from the man she recognized as Shikamaru's father.

She gasped, because it felt like she hadn't take a proper breath for a long time and her lungs were burning for it from the shallow little huffs she'd been making.


	433. Shadows of our Voice

"There she is." Shikaku stated more to himself than to her, and she watched as a strange energy that wasn't quite chakra faded from his fingers that had previously been pressed to her ears.

"What happened?" Her voice sounded strange to her own ears, like it had an echo it wasn't supposed to, like the sound had a shadow.

"You had an adverse reaction to the yin in my chakra." He explained with sharp eyes, but she was more interested to find that his voice also had that strange... double layer to it.

Kagome took a look around the room to find it unfamiliar, and although they were alone in this room she could sense Zabuza not too far. She relaxed a little, and allowed herself a moment to hope he was staying safe and out of sight.

"You are in the Nara compound." Shikaku explained and she blinked at that. "The land here is more suitable to these things, it's steeped in many generations of our clans chakra." He went on further.

Her brows furrowed. "What exactly are we doing?" The corner of the spiky haired man's lips twitched down and she got the feeling he found this conversation bothersome.


	434. Yin

The man leaned back onto his arms to look up at the ceiling before her. "Yin is also called spiritual energy, it is a component in making chakra." He explained, and Kagome nodded because she knew chakra was a mixed of yin and yang energies, physical and spiritual.

It just wasn't the same kind of spiritual energy as she knew it.

"Well, because the Nara work so closely with shadow matter, and negative spaces with the use of yin imbalanced chakra, we tend to have quite a bit more spiritual energy than others." He went on, his dark eyes watching her for something- she wasn't sure what. "And because of the compelling nature of the dark there have been a few rare cases where someone with a strong affinity toward yin nature leapt into the shadow. It was easy enough to retrieve you, it happens sometimes when we train the children in the clan techniques, it needed to be done all the same however." He sighed then, scrubbing a hand through his hair.

* * *

AN: This explanation was inspired by another fanfiction I've read that i'm sure most of you are familiar with, Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen. The woman (pretty sure she's a woman but maybe it's better not to make assumptions about these things, it is 2016 after all.) is a genious. If you haven't read her work I absolutely recommend it.


	435. Five Minutes to Four Hours

"This was just supposed to be a quick 'go get the kid and take her to the Hokage.' Now look at me, roped into this mess, pah! Four hours later. Five minute job my ass." He complained with a lazy grin.

Kagome couldn't help but grin back a little bit, she much preferred this lazy attitude than the serious one he had just dispelled. There was something unsettling about this situation.

Kagome gave a small awkward laugh, "Yeah, sorry about that I'm a bit of a trouble magnet."

Shikaku's almond shaped eyes took on that sharp tint that she was beginning to think meant he was thinking too hard about something.

"So I've heard." He murmured. Kagome reached up to touched her own throat, the strange shadow to their voices bothering her. It wasn't normal.

"Why do we sound… our voices…" She tailed off unsure of how to express her question. The Nara seemed to understand just fine however.


	436. Pithy Quote

"It will pass for you, it's too late for me though I'm afraid." And his tone held the humor of some inside joke she didn't get. "In a few days you won't be able to hear the shadow layers so don't let it bother you too much." He reassured, and she was slightly surprised to find that it was. It _was_ reassuring to know she wouldn't have to hear the strange smoke like echo of words that wasn't _really_ a tangible sound and yet somehow she could still hear it.

She tilted her head, considering. "If you gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss gazes back." It was a pithy quote; it felt apposite considering the circumstances.

So, did that mean he'd become a part of the strange… shadow… chakra, thing? Did that mean her exposure had done something similar? He'd said it was only temporary though…

"Yea, kid. Something like that." He laughed, like it was a good joke. Kagome though, couldn't help be feel a little… off kilter about this whole situation.

There was something very unsettling about letting _shadows_ affect your person, you awareness and understanding of the world around you.

' _Creepy.'_ She decided finally. That summed this whole thing up nice and neat.


	437. Mission Deployment Center

Shikaku guided her around corners and through the streets of Konoha. She got more than one odd look, dressed as she was but without an insignia to show village alliance. It's not like she behaved, or moved like a ninja, so mostly it was the passing Konoha-nin that gave her odd looks.

She stifled a yawn into the crook of her elbow. Kagome was used to being up this early, but she hadn't really slept well last night without Zabuza and Haku.

"It's this way." Shikaku grumbled as he held open the door to a large tower open for her. She ascended the few steps and made her way through.

There were people everywhere; carrying stacks of papers, handing out more papers, groups of gennin teams and their senseis sat in chairs along the walls or stood in line waiting to either turn in mission reports or pick up new ones.

"Busy place." She commented, and Shikaku grunted and continued his lazy stroll through the chaos. He pushed another door open, and they took two flights of stairs that led them into a much quieter hallway.

It was a stark contrast to what was going on in what she assumed was the mission's deployment center downstairs.


	438. Round Room

They came up to a desk, with a frazzled looking woman wearing her head band around her neck shuffling documents around.

"Shikaku-sama." She greeted brightly, despite her haggard appearance. "Hokage-sama is expecting you, please go on ahead." She gestured towards the only door that was situated to the side of her desk and went right back to whatever the poor overworked woman had been doing before their arrival.

"Thank you, Taka-san." The Nara said as he rapped once one the door, opening it without waiting for an answer.

Kagome trailed after him, giving the secretary a smile, which was returned kindly.

The Hokage's office was huge, but it looked just like it had in the manga. A large round room with windows splayed across the wall on her right. There were chairs lined against the wall the door they had come through was against.

A desk sat before them, it wasn't overly ornate, but it was a nice cherrywood color, and stacked high with books and scrolls. They littered the floor around the desk as well.


	439. Lazy Cat

Minato sat with his chin resting on the backs of his folded hands, grinning brightly at her.

He looked tired, with heavy bags under his eyes, but healthy nonetheless.

"Minato!" Kagome greeted, "You look like you are feeling better." Shikaku made a strange sound, like a lazy bothered cat who had been kicked out of its sunning spot, and he made he way over to a door on her left that she hadn't noticed.

"Kagome-chan, I'm glad you're feeling better as well, I heard you had a bit of an issue with some yin chakra."

Shikaku snorted.

"Uhm, well- something like that." She shuddered at the memories from last night, but quickly became distracted when the head of the Nara clan pushed open the door and in poured familiar faces, and familiar auras.


	440. Land of the Living

She sagged in relief at the sight them, a tension she hadn't been aware she was carrying eased from between her shoulders.

"Kagome." Zabuza rumbled and he took measured strides of long legs towards her, Haku and Itachi hot on his heels.

Something warm and soft uncoiled in her chest. "Zabuza." She returned his greeting as he stepped to her side.

"Glad to see you're back in the land of the living." Kakashi said and he flopped himself down in one of the many open chairs. Shikaku eyed him like he thought Kakashi had the right idea.

Kagome felt a flash of surprise to see that Jiraiya was still around as well, and the tall white haired man leaned against the side of Minato's desk is a casual way.

Minato shot him a disgruntled look when he overturned an ink pot and began wiping at it with the corner of the sannin's red jacket.

"Hey! This was expensive!" He cried in dismay over his now stained cloth. "These documents are important." Minato returned, nonplussed.


	441. Prickly

Kagome hid a giggle behind her hand, and she knew it wasn't altogether successful when Zabuza gave her a slanted look from the corner of his eyes. She flashed him a bright smile, and was rewarded when the corner of his mouth twitched upwards in response. It was practically a happy expression for the prickly man.

Itachi and Haku were murmuring quiet things at her other side, and she turned to them and held back the desire to fuss like a mother hen. Her fingers twitched though, especially when she caught how tired Itachi looked.

The poor boy seemed wrung out, with dark bruises under his eyes and a sort of slump to his shoulders.


	442. In Her Eyes

Kagome gave in, because well, it just wouldn't be like her to not offer some form comfort when the Uchiha prodigy clearly needed some kind of reassurance. Even if he'd never say it aloud. He was an adult in the eyes of his government, but that didn't change the fact that he was still a boy in her eyes.

She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at her from his conversation with Haku. His dark eyes held hers for a brief moment, and he gave a miniscule nod of acknowledgement. She let her hand drop, because that was probably as good as she was going to get from the boy while they were within the walls of his home- standing in front of his Hokage.

Minato clapped his hands, gathering the attention of the occupants in the room once more. "Well," He said. "We should begin."


	443. Into the Fold

And just like that the atmosphere changed, taking on a more serious air. Zabuza shifted next to her, and the back of his hand brushed against hers. Something warm fluttered in her chest, and she resisted the urge to smile brightly. This was probably an inappropriate moment for that kind of thing.

Minato caught her eyes, and she could see the question flickering in their blue depths, a question mirrored in his aura. She nodded her assent, and he sighed in return, and launched into an explanation of the situation for the benefit of the occupants in the room who didn't know what would soon be taking place.

Silence reigned as the Hokage spoke, and the longer he went on the darker the mood became.

Jiraiya scrubbed a hand through his long white hair with a put upon sigh. "What a mess." Was his input after Minato described the nature of his wife's vulnerability during the birthing; and how it would be taken advantage of.

Kakashi looked morose but determined.


	444. Walking Disaster

Zabuza's only inclination that he had been listening was to grunt after the plan Kagome and the blond Hokage had come up with was laid out. He turned dark, narrowed eyes down on her with a calculating look.

"This is what you want?" He rumbled at her, and she nodded slowly, returning his eye contact steadily.

Zabuza couldn't care less about Konoha, or it's villagers or anything to do with them at all really- what he did care about was Kagome's safety. If she was going to insist on throwing herself into a situation involving bijuu and jinchuriki he sure as hell wasn't going to let her go alone.

The woman was a walking disaster magnet after all.


	445. Capable

"What about the kids?" Kakashi asked with a tilt of silver hair towards the younger occupants in the room.

Both Itachi and Haku straightened in thinly veiled indignation. Kagome chewed at her bottom lip at the question. It's not like she _wanted_ their involvement, but she knew for certain things to work she was going to need Itachi's help, and Haku… well. That decision was ultimately going to be up to Zabuza. The boy was his ward after all.

If Zabuza didn't want Haku in the thick of this then no amount of kicking and screaming from the ice user was going to change that. Kagome though, was confident that the Kiri missing-nin wouldn't keep the boy on the sidelines. Haku was capable, and he was a ninja in his own right; a very talented one. Zabuza had trained the boy to live a life like his own; with death and blood trailing along in their wake.

Kagome turned to look at the two of her littlest companions, only to find their attention was already on her.

Steely determination flickered through their aura's mirroring each other as if for all the world they really were brothers.

"Haku is capable." Zabuza put in his two cents, and he said it in a way that suggested there had never been any question in the fact. Kagome watched the boy's aura swell with pride at his masters confidence in him.

She just hoped it wouldn't get him killed.


	446. Necessity and Acceptance

Minato leveled a look on the young Uchiha that made the boy's back straighten. It wasn't a look given from a gentle soul. No, that look said a thousand things, and all of them spoke of the difficult choices a leader had to make. Especially the leader of a village that employed child soldiers.

"This is classified as an S-ranked mission," He told Itachi, and understanding flickered through the boy. "If you choose to decline, it is your right, being that you are only ranked as a chunin. I'm sure you are aware that you have been under observation for ANBU, and be aware that your refusal will not affect that decision." He continued at length. "The utmost secrecy is required however, regardless if you accept or decline." He added with a tone of warning.

Itachi nodded, "I accept the mission."

Like there had ever been any doubt.

Kagome held a sigh of resignation behind her teeth. Just because she needed Itachi's help, didn't mean she had to enjoy putting him in a dangerous situation.


	447. Stop Gap

"Well!" Jiraiya boomed, startling Kagome, "Let's get down to it then." He said as he sat himself up on Minato's desk. Said blond man shot him an irritated look that was ignored. Kagome suspected Jiraiya did it on purpose.

"The elders in the council have demanded that Kushina-chan be moved outside of the walls, 'for safety reason'" The last part he made quotations in the air for with a snarky quality to his voice.

"We'll be moving out to the set location this afternoon to prepare what we can beforehand." Minato reiterated. "We have very little time, and Kagome-chan and Itachi will need to go over some things together."

Everyone who cared to, nodded in acknowledgement.

"Shikaku will not be joining you, as the jounin commander he will be setting up the stop gap measures within the walls and preparing for a worst-case scenario." Kagome blinked, having forgotten the quiet man was even in the room with them. His aura had a subtly to it like that.

It was probably a convenient thing for a ninja.


	448. The Color of Trepidation

The discussion continued for another half hour, and by the time they were ready to move out Kagome was shifting from foot to foot anxiously. Kakashi ambled over to their little three person group, rubbing at his eye with careful fingers beneath his forehead protector. Kagome was no stranger to pre-battle jitters, and neither were the ninja in the room; they just hid it better.

Zabuza's shoulder bumped hers and she looked up to see his attention wasn't even on her, but meandering around the room as if the gesture had been unintentional. She knew better, and she smiled for him for it.

Shikaku joined them as well then, and handed Kakashi three baton sized tubes, one was green, one red and another was black.

They were the signal flares, and she eyed the black one with with a creeping sensation of trepidation.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.


	449. Departing Ghost

Kagome, Zabuza and their two wards were asked to wait in a quiet, abandoned hallway outside of the Hokage's office.

Shikaku ambled away with a "good luck" and a half-hearted sleepy wave. Kagome didn't necessarily dislike the man, but she also couldn't say that his presence didn't put her on edge. His aura was like a thing creeping around in the back her mind; shadowy and indistinct.

It was like that sensation when you had your eyes closed in the shower, and some irrational part of your brain told you that if you opened them someone who wasn't supposed to be there would be standing underneath the water with you.

Like looking in a mirror and seeing someone standing behind you but when you turn no one was there.

She shuddered as her sense of him ambled slowly out of her range. His aura made her teeth hurt in an uncomfortable way.


	450. Corridor

Kagome had no idea where Jiraiya disappeared to, but she suspected she didn't want to know anyways. The sanin's task had been slated for assisting with the fortification measures inside the walls, and he would only be called out if it was absolutely necessary.

Protecting the village took the utmost precedence, and Kagome understood why.

They waited for hours, the tense silence only broken by snippets of conversation here and there, and Kagome's few attempts at lightening the mood. She shared a modicum of success with Haku, who was attempting to help in his soft spoken way.

Kagome leaned into Zabuza's side on a bench that lined the narrow corridor, and his heat was a comforting thing. He seemed just as content to have her there beside him.

Kakashi turned a corner then and slouched his way over. Zabuza crossed his arms at her side impatiently, and Kagome wondered how long ago he was supposed to actually meet them. She couldn't imagine they had been meant to wait this long.

"C'mon, let's head out." The silver haired jounin murmured as he passed them without stopping to make sure they followed.


	451. Lead the Way

Getting out of the village turned out to be easier than getting in. With the sun setting at their backs, and Minato leading their small troupe towards the gates, no one stopped them to ask what was going on.

They did get a lot of double takes though, and more than one ninja outright stopped to watch the small procession.

"Kakashi will lead from here." Minato said softly after they had passed the chunin guards. "Kushina and I will join you before long."

He flashed Kagome a handsome smile, "Good luck." He added, and she resisted the urge to chew her bottom lip, and smiled back instead.

"You too." She told him sincerely.


	452. Face Value

The entourage passed several cells of Konoha-nin patrolling the outer ring of the village, but a quick series of hand signs from Kakashi had them moving on before they could be stopped and questioned. It wasn't really a surprise that their rag-tag group would curry attention, Zabuza alone- even without his Kiri headband on was clearly not native to Konoha.

Kakashi seemed to be recognizable enough, even at his younger age, to be taken at face value thankfully.

Night had fallen by the time they stopped at the designated point, and Kagome shifted the small pouch wrapped tightly around her thigh. She wasn't sure if she imagined hearing the beads inside clink, or if she was just thinking too hard about them in that moment.

Everyone's nerves were running high, even if it was less noticeable in the tenured ninja of the group.


	453. A Million Little Things

"Itachi," Kagome called, and both the Uchiha boy and Haku trotted over to her in response. Kagome sat haphazardly on the ground, papers scattered everywhere; held down by rocks and pebbles so the wind didn't catch them. Her fingers were stained with ink, and her ink well was just about empty.

She gathered a small stack, and handed it over to Itachi without looking, her mind on a million little things and whirling through plans and preparations.

"Hold onto these." She instructed, even as she moved to her already prepared sting of prayer beads. She counted them again, maybe for the hundredth time that day. Just to be sure.


	454. Misinformation

"How do they work?" She heard Haku's soft voice, and she looked over at the two boys crouched next to her, watching as she scattered things about and collected others.

Itachi was attempting to stuff the ofuda's into his thigh pouch without tearing them on his neatly organized kunai, and Haku's gaze was circling around the string of beads in her hand.

"It's a subjugation necklace." She told him, and Itachi seemed to perk up in interest. "There's an incantation," She went on, glad for the verbal refresher. It was always better to explain to someone than to talk to oneself and look like a crazy person doing it. "You speak the name of the target, and it activates with the use of a subjugation word."

* * *

AN: Yes, I know it's slightly different than how it works in Cannon. I have reasons, I swear.


	455. Semblance of Comfort

"And what does that do?" Itachi asked her then.

Kagome ran an ink-stained hand through her damp hair, unknowingly smearing the black substance across her forehead much to the younger boys amusement. Despite the chill, sweat had started to gather on the back of her neck and it was making her uncomfortable.

She longed for a hair tie.

"It depends on the word." She explained with a hint of nostalgia. "I've used it before with the word 'sit' and it made him slam into the ground."

Haku blinked, and sat back on his haunches, apparently satisfied with looking over the beads.

"What word will you use this time?" Kagome's lips parted, but she paused in realization.

"Oh, I supposed I hadn't thought about it yet." She admitted.

"You'll think of something." Itachi murmured, his attention shifting over to Kakashi who was laying out folded blankets for the Hokage's wife.


	456. Make Do

The reminder of the heavily pregnant woman had Kagome taking a look around the clearing. They were pretty far into the forest of Fire Country, but not so far that the village couldn't be reached within a few minutes a top speed. Well, top speed for a ninja.

Kagome sighed, the middle of the woods wasn't exactly the most advantageous place to have a baby. She had seen worse though, much much worse in the feudal era.

That reminder sent a shudder down her spine. At least this clearing was dry, clear of sewage and relatively clean. Or at least, as clean as the outdoors could be. The presence of medical ninja wouldn't hurt either.


	457. Idle Hands

Kagome's fingers were starting to cramp, and she flexed them irritably to try and get some life back into the digits. With an absent minded grunt she reached for her ink brush to continue working on her already large pile of ofudas only to have a masculine hand pluck the utensil from her aching fingers. She looked up into dark eyes and a blank expression.

"I'm using that." She pointed out to the man.

He gave her a flat look before folding himself gracefully into a sitting position at her side.

"I believe your attention is needed elsewhere." She rose an eyebrow at Zabuza's words and scanned the makeshift camp. Tensions were running high; it was apparent in the body language of everyone present as people made jerky motions and constantly checked over their shoulders.

Kagome too, had been buried deep in an unnecessary project in an attempt to keep her mind occupied.


	458. Late Arrival

Kushina was due to arrive soon.

Kagome rechecked the sun's position in the sky for the umteenth time in the last hour and amended that thought. Kushina _had been_ due anytime- about an hour ago.

The Hokage and his wife were late. Her gaze wandered over to Kakashi who had his kunai laid out in front of him in his own attempt at distracting himself. The weapons clearly didn't need anymore cleaning as they already looked sharp enough to cut stone. Still the man persisted.

Kakashi looked up as if sensing her gaze and met her eyes with his uncovered one. His shoulders heaved with a deep breath although she couldn't hear it from where she sat. He gave a half-hearted shrug, another searching glance to the horizon on the left toward Konoha before returning to his weapons kit.


	459. Invested

Zabuza waited patiently for her to come to whatever conclusion he was trying to lead her to for all of fifteen seconds before he tilted his head of unruly hair towards their wards.

The boys sat off to the side, apart from the rest of the group. It was clear to her that they were doing their best to remain composed, but the tense atmosphere would affect any seasoned warrior; let alone young ones. Even Kagome was not immune.

Although Zabuza seemed to be getting along fine, but she supposed that was because he was only invested in the well-being of two- possibly three people present. That was a big difference from worrying about an entire village: one's home, including the leader of that village and his unborn child and wife.

There was a lot at stake here, and they were not off to a good start.

She watched Itachi scan the same horizon all of them were watching with baited breath, and she could see the worry in his eyes.


	460. The Red Flare

"I see." She murmured, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Zabuza give a satisfied nod. Minimum amount of effort provided, he stood and offered her a hand to bring her to her feet as well. His hand stroked down her arm in what could have been an accidental gesture if she didn't know any better. His fingertips were warm, and left a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

She smiled for him, and abandoned her ofuda pile in favor of the boys.

She never made it the short distance when the entire camps attention was arrested by a distantly echoed _bang_ and a trail of hot red smoke rose into the sky.


	461. Too Soon

Kagome's heart rose into her throat right along with it as all eyes followed its path into the sky.

"It's too soon…" She whispered to no one, but found that Zabuza was at her side the moment the words left her lips.

Her fingers touched where she knew the black flare was securely tucked into her thigh pouch.

"Is it Tobi?" Haku called as he and Itachi moved to join the two adults. Kagome nodded absently, mind whirling through what this could mean.

If Tobi had already made his appearance, before the baby was even born- did that mean the time line was already damaged? She chewed her lower lip until Kakashi's authoritative voice called out to the stunned group of ninja and medic-nin alike.

"Move out!"

And everyone flew into motion, gathering their belongings and readying weapons.


	462. Itachi Knows the Way

They arrived back at the village gates in time to witness a massive explosion plume fire and smoke into the afternoon sky. Kagome snatched at Zabuza's arm to steady herself on the rumbling ground as she didn't have chakra to root herself down like the others did.

People were screaming and running into one another everywhere as the gate guards attempted to herd civilians in the opposite direction.

"That was Hokage tower!" A medic cried, and immediately the iryo-nin were separating from them to swing into the well practiced motions of looking for injured.

Kakashi's expression hardened, "Itachi, Haku, see to the civilians, move anyone you can find to the monument, stick together, Itachi knows the way."

* * *

AN: Uh, hey guys. It's been a hot minute hasnt it? (Please dont hurt me.) This set of chapters is of course dedicated to animecutylover who has spent the last two days blowing up my email with almost two hundred reviews. I see you over there, yes you have my attention. (Very successfully I might add.) So, I'm trying to finish this one becuase it is literally at the end and I already have some of the sequel writen as well.

A genuine thank you of course to all of y'all who have stuck around to see this story to fruition and took the time to let me know your thoughts. Honestly this story needs a good rewrite, there are typos and weird errors abound and I'll probably get to that sooner or later. I dont even know what i'll do with the first 70 or so chapters since that was before I used google docs and who knows where the orginals even are...

Anyways, thank you guys agian, I hope you enjoy this installment brought to you by the staunch efforts of animecutylover to get my attention.


	463. Follow the Leader

A loud, blaring alarm began to sound, harsh and grating in a way that demanded attention followed quickly by another two explosions farther off into the village. Smoke was rising in the air, ninja speeding across rooftops and civilians gathering their children and loved ones to move towards designated areas of the village.

Itachi nodded in acceptance to Kakashi's orders, but Haku looked to Zabuza first who was giving Kakashi a calculating look. He grunted acquiescence a moment later, and the two were off.

"Kagome, we need to find Minato-sensei and Kushina and figure out what went wrong." Kakashi gave Zabuza a sidelong glance even as he began a loping run into the screaming chaos of civilians and ninja alike.

"Do what you want." Kakashi told the man, although it was obvious to her what he would do.

Zabuza would go wherever she would go.


	464. Painful Priorites

Kagome helped a little girl get back to her feet, and chewed at her bottom lip in frustration. The child was injured, a burn maring the left side of her face. She sobbed, and pleaded for her mother who came running to gather the girl in her arms only a moment later.

Her injury would surely scar, but Kagome didn't have time to spare for her. She felt bad that it wasn't a difficult choice. They needed to located the Hokage as quickly as possible and with the Hokage tower now in ruins, and the man's home completely empty they were flying blind trying to find him amidst the chaos of the village.

"It'll be alright." She placated the girl as her mother ushered her off towards the monument.

Zabuza nudged her to follow after Kakashi a moment later when she remained still for too long.


	465. The Black Flare

They searched for thirty minutes; a long time in the chaos of the village with explosions going off. The smoke was so heavy in some places Kagome was forced to pull her shirt up over her nose and mouth. Her eyes burned and she blinked back the sting of irritation.

"Preset explosive tags, he's trying to cause panic; a distraction." Kakashi had guessed after finding no enemy ninja. Which meant that Tobi's plan had changed long enough ago for him to premeditate an entire rewrite to the plans she knew.

There was no question in her mind anymore.

This was uncharted waters, she had no idea what was going to happen. This didn't match the proper timeline at all.

The moment they crested a large hill with a good enough view of Konoha burning to the ground, Kagome reached into her pouch and sent the black flare into the sky.

Its colouring was a stark contrast to the deep red of the setting sun.

Worst of all though, this meant that all of their efforts and planning to combat Tobi was now garbage.

"We'll have to wing it." Kakashi said behind her as if sensing her thoughts.


	466. A Familiar Face

Another fevered thirty minutes passed before they found anyone who could point them in the right direction. For Kagome, it was thirty minutes of familiar hell.

"Nara-san!" Kakashi called out, and she swerved around to search for the man.

She followed her senses, looking for his particular aura amongst the masses of others that all jumbled together among the smoke and heat. It wasn't difficult to find, but reaching him was another matter.

The Jonin commander stood atop a pile of rubble, shouting orders and giving directions to a large group of haggard looking chunin and genin. It seemed no rank was spared a task and the man did a valiant job of bringing some semblance of order to the panic.

The Nara clan head gave them an absent wave to come forward as he continued to shout to the back of the crowd.

"Hatake-san, Kagome-chan" He greeted gruffly.


	467. Vexed

For a man shouting orders amidst the chaos of his home, the Nara clan head still managed to look for all the world like he was bored out of his mind.

"Hokage-sama?" He mused to himself in a lazy drawl. "Wasn't he headed to the rendezvous point with Kushina-san?" Despite the question itself Kagome could see something sharp and calculating in the man's eyes as he mulled over the possibilities.

The ground rumbled ominously with another explosion that plumed smoke into the sky from the far end of Konoha's expanse. Kagome steadied herself on Zabuza's arm on reflex and felt mildly vexed with the way the ninja around her retained their feet without even a waver.


	468. Malevolent Taint

On the tail end of the latest explosion was a rumbling sensation that was drawn out far longer than any of the previous blasts had caused.

Kakashi turned to look at Kagome as she began to pull Zabuza along in the opposite direction they had been headed. The Kiri-nin didn't look happy with the tugging but Kakashi noticed he didn't protest regardless. And then he noticed her expression. Wide eyed and mouth parted she breathed in little huffs- and he didn't think it was from all the running. Shikaku threw her retreating back a bemused look.

In quick succession Kakashi's next revelation was the boiling hot, tained chakra that exploded into the air, heavy and more cloying than any explosive tag had managed.

"I'd hazard a guess that you should go that way." Shikaku said without humor, pointing in the direction Kagome was headed. Straight toward a distant point outside the village where bright orange bubbling chakra was visibly piling onto itself like a mountain of acid.


	469. Insubordination

Itachi and Haku looked up in tandem, the disgusting sensation of malicious chakra crawling over his skin and leaving a tight sensation in his throat. Itachi ushered a now whimpering woman past the tori that lead into the mountain and quickly made his way over to Haku who was helping an elderly man get to his feet after the last earth-shaking explosion.

He was sure Haku's frustrated expression mirrored his own.

"We need to get over there." Itachi picked up on Haku's soft voice over the clamor of panicked voices only because he was listening for it.

The young Uchiha nodded, eyeing a pair of genin farther down the path who were assisting in moving the civilians. Itachi had never made a habit out of disobeying a direct order, but he thought in this case that Kakashi would just have to deal with it.

The Ofuda in his pocket were heavy with responsibility.

"Lets go." Haku required no further encouragement.


	470. A Terrible Analogy

It felt like Buyo was sitting on her chest. It felt like Buyo had gained another ten pounds, and was sitting on her chest while angry.

It was a terrible analogy but to be fair her mind was a little distracted by the sheer amount of hatred and fury imbued chakra that was boiling into existence at a point that was by turns approaching too quickly and not quickly enough.

Kagome despaired at what this must mean for Kushina, a woman she had yet to meet but felt like she knew regardless.

She fought for breath, Zabuza keeping steady with her loping pace and Kakashi having quickly caught up behind them.

The outer wall of the village came into view, towering above them with a height no human structure managed to achieve during Inuyasha's time. Kagome didn't stop, and wasn't surprised when Zabuza's arms lifted her from her run without even a stutter in his own gait.

Chakra pooled in his feet, and suddenly they were running _up._ It was a very different kind of sensation that the casual jump Inuyasha would have made in order to bypass the massive structure; but Kagome though the ninja method was no less inhuman.


	471. Cling

Kagome clung to Zabuza's shoulders as they descended the wall with sliding feet and clinging chakra, the ground rushing forward to meet them. They landed with thudding feet and dust clouds, Zabuza's muscles absorbing an impact that would have killed any normal human being with ease. By virtue of kinetic energy and long practice Zabuza shifted with just the required amount of movement and chakra to shoot forward into the trees; Kakashi hot on his heels.

Kagome could only cling to her Kiri-nin and hope that they would be in time to prevent whatever terrible outcome Uchiha Madara was planning.


End file.
